After the Darkness
by babealltheway
Summary: This is the third part in a series. It is of course a Babe story and has a HEA. Ranger wakes up with no memory of the past three years. As always, expect SMUT. Joe gets banged around.
1. Chapter 1

*****AN: I'm not her and she's not me. She's making the dough and I'm having the fun.**

*******This story is the third in a trilogy. The first part in the series is 'On the Run' and the second is 'Just You and Me, Babe'. This is a Babe story and is a HEA. I hope that you've enjoyed the ride as much as I have. I want to thank my beta, Angie. She helped put the idea of writing this story into my head as we talked about unfinished stories one night. Then she held my hand all the way through JYAMB, even when I took a break to deal with RL. She hasn't held back when she thought I needed to make changes and for that – I am very grateful…..I really hope you enjoy and if you don't….hit the back button.**

_**Epilogue to JYAMB/Prologue to After the Darkness**_

_It's so dark. Where am I? Every fiber of my body hurts. That noise. Would somebody please turn off whatever is making that noise? Where am I? I need…what the hell do I need? Ranger. I need Ranger. He'll make the hurt go away. Why can't I open my damn eyes? Ranger, where are you? I need you. The darkness is too much and I feel it pulling me under again. _

_In another room across the hall._

_Dark and cold. That's all I know. Where the fuck am I? There's the tale-tell beep, beep of machinery. Hospital. Why am I in the hospital? I need….what the hell do I need? All I can remember is …..Connie . She called me. Then, all I can remember is a…..sea of blue. Blue? I need blue? That can't be right. Who the fuck needs blue? I keep trying to remember, but it makes my head hurt. The darkness is trying to pull me under again. I can't go until I remember. Blue, blue, blue…..eyes? Holy hell. I'm going insane. I need blue eyes? Shit, here comes the damn darkness again. I can't fight it…just going to let it….take me._

"**After the Darkness**"

Chapter One

"Waking Up"

Fighting the darkness, Stephanie woke up to the hum of machinery and knew immediately that she was in the hospital. As the darkness was stripped away, she groggily looked around the room. In the shadows, she could make out the solid form of Lester.

"Hey, beautiful." Lester stepped forward, took her hand and squeezed gently. "I'm gonna press the call button for the nurse, so she can check you out, okay?" While they waited for the nurse, Lester brought the straw of a cup to her lips for her to drink. As she drank deeply, his hand ghosted down the side of her head and brushed her hair back from her face.

"You scared the living daylights out of us. How are you feeling?"

Stephanie shrugged. With a raspy voice, she answered, "I've felt better. I hurt all over. What about Ranger? Is he okay? Where is he?" She was starting to panic. What if he'd been hurt badly? She knew she'd never survive if…..no, Lester's face didn't look like that had happened.

"Relax, beautiful. He's in the next room. He hasn't regained consciousness yet."

The nurse and doctor came in at the same time. "Mrs. Manoso, it's good to see you awake. Mr. Santos, would you mind waiting outside while I examine Mrs. Manoso?"

Lester squeezed her hand, told her he'd be right outside, and then left out of the room.

"Mrs. Manoso, I'm Dr. Hadley. I took care of you when you came to the emergency room. Mrs. Manoso, you received a few minor abrasions, a concussion, and you'll probably be very sore for a couple of days at least. I'm sorry, but the impact of your fall caused you to miscarry the baby."

Stephanie didn't hear much after that. There was something about bleeding, being anemic, and no reason she couldn't try again. When the tears started, she couldn't concentrate on the words. She turned on her side, away from the doctor, and let her tears flow unchecked down her cheeks. She never heard the doctor leave or Lester return. She just lay in the hospital bed and cried. Her pain was too much to bear. The ache in her heart engulfed her, until she let it drag her back into the dark world of sleep.

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Lester's concern for Stephanie went into over-drive when he came back into the hospital room and she didn't even acknowledge him. He figured, she'd be having a fit to go see Ranger, for him to go find her some comfort food, or screaming about being released. Instead, she'd lay still, silent tears flowing down her face until she fell asleep.

When the nurse came back in, she refused to tell Lester what had been said or what the extent of Stephanie's injuries were. The nurse told him snootily that Stephanie's injuries were confidential and that he'd have to ask her himself if he wanted to know. He discreetly checked her body for injuries and found nothing that wasn't expected. Ugly bruises, some deep cuts and a few burns, but nothing that would cause her to be so sad.

When Bobby and Tank had come to check on her, they'd been tight lipped. All they would tell Lester is that Stephanie would tell him when she was ready. As he watched his friend sleep, all he could think was screw this. He wanted to know what the hell was wrong and he wanted to know now. He was responsible for Stephanie in Ranger's stead and he needed to know what he was up against.

When Stephanie woke up the second time, she brushed him off and just said it was the stress and not being able to see Ranger. She finally asked him if she could have something to eat other than hospital food. Lester flipped open his phone and told Woody to pick her up something on his way to take his shift as guard.

About an hour later, Stephanie had showered, with the help of the nurse, changed into the clothes Ella had brought and eaten only half of her quarter pounder and a few fries. That is when the _real_ Stephanie Manoso showed up.

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"Lester, I want to go see Ranger, now." She set her jaw, waiting for him to deny her request.

"Now, beautiful, he's not even awake yet. You can go see him when you're released in the morning. I promise that Tank will come and tell us if there's a change in his condition."

Just then, the door swung open and Joe Morelli stepped into the hospital room, past the menacing looks of Hal and Woody. Lester's arm shot out and restrained Joe as he warned, "Upset her and you'll have to deal with me."

Lester's voice was low and threatening. Stephanie knew if it'd been directed at her, she would have pissed her pants. Lester was usually lighthearted and fun-loving. She'd never seen his caveman routine, but it was definitely effective.

"Hey, Cupcake. How are you feeling?" Joe's eyes roamed over her looking for signs of her recent brush with death and then scowled deeply when his eyes quickly skirted over the area between her legs. Stephanie saw the pitying look in Joe's eyes and knew that he was privy to the news of her miscarriage. She gave him a meaningful look that stated clearly that she wasn't talking about it with him. "I'm fine, Joe. In fact, Lester was just about to take me to see my husband."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lester cross his arms over his chest and glare at her. She locked eyes with him and competed in a visual showdown, before turning her attention back to Joe. "I know you're here about the accident, but I don't know anything. I have no idea who'd want to kill Ranger or me. We'll go through our files when we're released. It's the best I can do for you right now.

Lester gave Joe a wicked 'take that' smile. Stephanie just rolled her eyes at him. Didn't he know by now that she could hold her own with Joe?

Joe ran his hand through his hair. "I really came to see how you were. Tank's already told me that you guys would let me know what you find in RangeMan's files. I'm going to go, but I wanted you to know that if you needed anything to give me a call."

Stephanie looked at his haggard expression and had a moment of feeling sorry for Joe. Then again, screw that. First opportunity, he'd be all over her about her life being a mess and then she'd be pissed again. Better to keep him at a distance. "Thanks for the offer, Joe, but I'm sure whatever I need, will be taken care of by my family." Her comment was punctuated by a soft look at Lester. She smiled slightly when Lester puffed out his chest.

The door clicked softly behind Joe and the tender look of sisterly love disappeared from Stephanie's face. She sat with her arms folded across her chest, glaring at Lester.

She nearly laughed when he tried to glare back at her. She knew that the Merry Men had difficulty denying her anything that was really important to her. And this….was more than important, it was her lifeline.

As he released the rails, he snippily told her, "If I get in trouble for this, you're gonna pay. I don't know how, but you'll pay. If Ranger thinks for one minute that I put your health at risk, he'll have me sent to a third world country, on a one-way-ticket. If that happens…I'll find a way to come back and get even. And I swear Stephanie, if I think you're glossing over how you're feeling, I'll have you back in this room and in restraints before you can blink one mascara coated eye-lash."

After his tirade ended, he scooped her up from the bed. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Thanks, Les."

When Lester had her in the chair beside Ranger's bed, he stepped back towards the door to give her some privacy.

Her eyes stung with the tears that she refused to shed. He was alive. That was all that mattered. He'd wake up and everything would be alright. She needed him to wake up and look at her with his dark eyes of love and say 'Babe'.'

For an hour, she sat beside him, stroking his arm and talking to him about everything under the sun. When she started getting stiff from sitting at an awkward angle, she stood and stretched, noticing for the first time that their wedding rings were missing.

"Lester, where are our rings?"

"Tank has them. I'll send him a text to bring them to Ranger's room. He's on his way and I can tell you he's not happy about you being out of bed." Resigned, Lester thought, but not happy.

Stephanie turned when the door swung open, expecting Tank, but instead her doctor came in with an attitude.

"Mrs. Manoso, I haven't released you yet and you need to be in bed. You're anemic and need rest to recover." His pissy attitude didn't even faze the beautiful, curly brunette standing before him.

"Doctor, I'm not leaving. My husband needs me and you can just go ahead and sign those release papers. I'll be right here when you have them typed up." Take that, she thought. She wasn't about to leave Ranger's side. If truth be told, she didn't have the ability. Her control was sliding and if anybody else tried to remove her from his room, her psyche was going to snap.

"Fine, but for God's sake, get that prescription filled and….." he swung towards Lester. "You! Make sure she gets plenty of iron filled food. I'll not have her back in here in a few days because her wounds aren't healing. There's a whole list of iron deficiency symptoms and I expect you to bring her back if she experiences a single one of them."

Both Tank and Bobby had come in during the middle of the doctor's speech and Bobby took over the situation.

"Doctor, I'm Bobby, the medic for RangeMan. I understand completely the risks of iron deficiency. I promise you that'll I'll make certain that Stephanie takes care of herself. We have a housekeeper that will cook iron fortified meals for her and I will personally make sure she takes her iron pills."

The doctor seemed satisfied with Bobby's explanation and left to fill out Stephanie's release papers.

With a sigh, Tank gently led Stephanie back to the chair and guided her to sit down. She was white as a ghost, but there was steel in her spine and she was going to give them all a run for their money. "Lester, go to her room and pack up her things. She can stay here for a while longer, but then she needs to go back to the apartment and rest until morning." Tank gave her a stern look that broached no argument. "Steph, after you've eaten a good breakfast, Lester will bring you back. If Ranger wakes, I'll be here and explain why you're not here. He'll understand. In fact, we'll all be lucky to have a hide left when he wakes up and finds out we let you stay this long."

Stephanie caved and nodded her acquiesce. "Do you have our rings?"

Tank took a Ziploc baggy from one of his many cargo pockets and handed it to her as Lester and Bobby left the room.

She put her rings on first and then Ranger's. She kissed his hand and then entwined their fingers. Tank eased out of the room as she started talking to him about the baby.

In Stephanie's hospital room, Lester gathered up her clothes and then went to the bathroom to retrieve her toiletries. Efficiently he packed her cosmetics, shampoo and toothbrush. That's when his eyes caught the sanitary napkins beside the toilet. Holy Cow! They were so huge that they looked like diapers. This couldn't be right, since Stephanie used tampons. He knew this because one night Ranger had made him go to the store and buy them for Stephanie. It had been his punishment for shooting his mouth off about her PMSing. The light bulb was slow in coming, but now he was pretty sure of the reason why Stephanie was anemic and…..sad.

Slowly, he sat down on the side of the bathtub. The pieces fit. That was the reason they were in Walgreens and the reason they were alive, but the baby wasn't. Lester scrubbed his face, refusing to let loose on the desire to cry. Ranger had told him about wanting to have a baby with Stephanie.

This was going to cause some trouble between them when Ranger regained consciousness. He knew Ranger, and was certain that he'd blame himself, as much as Stephanie was blaming herself right now. Knowing Ranger, he'd use it as a reason not to try getting her pregnant again. Well hell, not if he had anything to do with it. He'd recruit Tank and Bobby if he had to. They weren't going to let Ranger use this as a reason to distance himself from Stephanie again. The man in black had been happier than he'd ever seen him before and Lester would be damned before he let Ranger screw it up.

Stephanie. Dammit. She was going to be a mess for a while about this. He knew she didn't want to talk about it right now, but when she was ready, he'd be there for her.

When he'd gotten control of his emotions, he finished packing and made his way back to Ranger's room.

Finding Stephanie, with her head on the bed wasn't surprising. Her voice was hoarse as she whispered words of love and stroked his arm. Lester took the seat next to the window and watched for a while. He'd been on guard since they came in last night and the exhaustion was creeping in. He'd let her stay a little bit longer, but then, he was taking her home. They both needed the rest.

Lester watched and waited. She could barely hold her eyes open, but she kept talking. He blushed at some of the things she said to Ranger, personal things about their hopes and dreams together. He looked away, thinking what a lucky man Ranger was when she talked of their night in Paris. Her voice was so low; she probably didn't think he could hear what she was saying. Little did she know, his ears were so good, he could hear a pin drop at twenty yards. He hadn't intended to listen, but it was too hard not to indulge in her tender voice as she comforted the man she loved. He lived vicariously through their relationship because it gave him hope. Hope that one day, he'd find just a fraction of what Ranger and Stephanie had together.

Lester looked back just in time to see Stephanie sliding from the chair. He jumped up and caught her before she hit the floor.

"Okay, that's it beautiful, time to go home and get some rest." She didn't object because she was down for the count, sound asleep in his arms. For some reason, he paused and told Ranger he was taking Stephanie to their apartment and that he'd look after her through the night. They'd be back first thing in the morning. With that said, he turned and carried his bundle out of the room.

*****Drop me a line and let me know what you think. I love hearing from you and what you think. Next up Ranger wakes up. Babe_Squad – get those fingers a typing – I have chapters waiting!!!!!!


	2. Chapter 2

***As always, I'm not, she is. She's making all the dough and I'm having all the fun. Thanks to my beta for taking the time to edit and re-edit this chapter. Hope enjoy the story, drop me a line to let me know what you think.

_Lester looked back just in time to see Stephanie sliding from the chair. He jumped up and caught her before she hit the floor._

"_Okay, that's it beautiful, time to go home and get some rest." She didn't object because she was down for the count, sound asleep in his arms. For some reason, he paused and told Ranger he was taking Stephanie to their apartment and that he'd look after her through the night. They'd be back first thing in the morning. With that said, he turned and carried his bundle out of the room._

"After the Darkness"

Chapter two

"I'm What?"

In the darkness of his dreams, Ranger could see the swirling of blue eyes. They were all different shades and he was starting to interpret the shades. Sometimes, the shade was light, much like that of a robin's egg as they shimmered with mirth. Then other times, they flashed azure like ice and in temper. The color he liked best was when the color turned a deep, dark blue, the shade of midnight. Yeah, the color he saw now was consuming and he relaxed into that dark intensity as he felt the passion that gleamed from the eyes and haunted his ink black world. Then, there was that voice that floated over him like warm honey, soothing him in his darkness.

Ranger fought off the pull of the deep sleep as he heard Lester's voice penetrating the dark recesses of his mind. He couldn't make out the words, but he knew they were said to comfort him. He blinked his eyes open as the light from the hall splayed into the room. Lester was leaving carrying a woman in his arms. The mop of curly, chestnut hair shimmered with streaks of gold as it swung down over Lester's arm. He saw Lester stop and say a word to Tank's massive shadow and then he left with his bundle. Ranger didn't have time to contemplate the strange dream, because Tank came in with Joe Morelli. So, he was guessing it wasn't a dream; he'd managed to crawl back into reality.

Ranger didn't like the cop, but knew from past experience that he was an honest and hardworking police officer. He figured Morelli was here about the reason he found himself in this hospital bed. Well, Morelli was shit out of luck, and not because he didn't want to be forthcoming, but because he couldn't remember anything past that fucking phone call from Connie.

"Yo, Boss. Bomber will definitely be pissed that she wasn't here when you woke up. How's the head?"

_Bomber? What the fuck is Tank talking about?_ Ranger's mind raced over someone from his past named Bomber. Nothing came to him, so he just gave Tank a blank look and turned to the cop. "Morelli."

"Ranger, I just swung by to check on Cupcake and try to get both of your statements." Joe's cop intuition was sending off red signal flares. Something wasn't right here. Ranger hadn't even commented on Tank's Bomber statement. Maybe there was trouble in paradise. Joe figured Ranger was probably going to be a dick about her losing the baby and blame it on her. The little devil sitting on his shoulder was cheering at that idea, but the angel on the other side was shaking his head and whispering, 'you know better'.

"So, what do you remember about the accident? Have any ideas about who could be trying to kill the two of you today?"

Joe's 'today' was said on a sneer and Ranger didn't like the attitude he sensed in Joe's tone. The last time he'd seen the cop, he hadn't had this same attitude towards him. Sure, Joe had always worn his dislike for Ranger like another badge. But, this… this attitude had a different flavor. If he didn't know better, he'd say the flavor was jealousy, but that couldn't be right. What could he possibly have that the cop would want?

Joe held out some pictures. Ranger took them and looked upon the twisted metal of his beloved Turbo. No, this wasn't his Turbo, because it was a newer model than his. By Joe's and Tank's expressions, they expected him to comment, but no way in hell was he saying anything until he had all this figured out. Ranger had learned at an early age to keep his mouth shut and wait until others clue you in or give you a hint about the whole situation. The next picture was pieces of a detonated bomb, but no memory of being bombed was triggered in his brain.

"Do you know anyone who might want to plant that device on your car?" Joe could see Ranger was not going to be forthcoming tonight. His demeanor was devoid of emotion and the resolution not to talk to Joe was written clear as day across his forehead.

"Look, Ranger, I need to know what cases you and Stephanie have been working on, so I can find out who tried to kill both of you. If you don't care who's trying to kill you, at least do it for her." Joe threw up his hands at Ranger's blank mask. "Tank, I'll call in the morning, maybe you can talk some sense into him."

Ranger read the concern in Tank's eyes as his right-hand man gave Joe a stern look that clearly said, "Later".

"Fine. So, how is Stephanie really and where was Lester taking her?" Joe knew he shouldn't be standing here asking about another man's wife, but he still felt like she was his to worry about.

"Joe, she'll be fine. Lester took her home to rest. If she hadn't passed out, she'd still be sitting in that chair. Now, Ranger probably wants to call and check on her, so we'll talk to you sometime tomorrow." Clearly being dismissed, Joe stomped out of the room and left Ranger and Tank alone.

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Tank watched as Joe stomped past the guards posted outside Ranger's room and then turned his attention back to his friend. He was about to get to the bottom of Ranger's strange behavior. Usually, he'd at least taken the time to dig at Joe by making a 'his wife' comment. But, Ranger hadn't said a single word except, 'Morelli'. There was definitely something weird going on with his boss. He was surprised to turn back and find Ranger stripping the IV out of his arm.

"Don't just stand there gawking, help me get dressed. I'm not staying another minute in this hospital being guarded like some helpless female."

Tank knew better than to argue. Something was wrong, but this was not the place to get into it.

_Stephanie. That was the name of the bounty hunter Connie wanted him to help. Did he meet with her? Were they on a case when his car had been bombed? Why the fuck couldn't he remember?_ He was adjusting his pants when his eyes landed on a magazine. _Vogue._ He picked it up and looked at the date. Fucking Shit! 2010! He'd lost fucking three years! Trying not to be obvious, he laid down the magazine and headed for the door with Tank in tow.

Tank ordered the two Rangemen to go down to the trucks and do a sweep for bombs, while he followed Ranger to the nurses' station to check himself out of the hospital. He was trying to figure out what the hell was going on. Ranger should've been grilling him about Stephanie. Something was definitely not right with his best friend.

On the way to RangeMan, Tank tried again to make some sense of this behavior. "Ranger, man, what the hell is going on? Why haven't you asked once about Stephanie?"

Ranger held himself in check. If you didn't say anything, other's would fill in the blanks, be patient, he reminded himself. All he knew for sure was that he had this insane need to get back to his apartment. It was like there was some sort of force field pulling towards his generic apartment.

Tank pulled into the garage and grabbed Ranger's arm before the man could bolt out of the truck. "Ranger, tell me what the fuck is going on, so I'm not rummaging around in the dark here."

Ranger looked down at the huge hand restraining him, then back at the face of his friend. "Fine. If you must know, I have no memory of the last three years. My last memory is of Connie calling me and asking me to help train a new bounty hunter." With his statement, Tank was so shocked that Ranger was able to jerk his arm free and storm towards the stairs.

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Stephanie stretched and then pulled back the blankets of their bed. She made her way to the bathroom and burst into tears as she sat on the toilet. The evidence of losing her baby was glaring at her, the pad full of blood. She blew her nose, replaced the pad and flushed the toilet. In the mirror, there was more evidence of the nightmare she was living, scratches covered her face and her eyes were puffy, red-rimmed circles. She needed Ranger and she didn't care what Lester said, she was going back to the hospital tonight, to be by his side.

Arriving back into the living room, she saw Lester on the couch with the phone in his hands staring off into space. His face was ghostly white and his hands were gripping the phone like it was a lifeline.

"Don't you dare tell me he's dead, because I won't believe it." Her voice was like ice and Lester's shocked eyes turned toward her.

"No, he's not dead, but you're not going to like what's happened. I don't have time to be gentle, because he's on his way up. Ranger has no memory of the past three years." Lester voice was shaking and she could hear the grief, but her heart was cracking so loud that she didn't even realize she'd started to sob hysterically.

Lester pulled her into his arms and stroked her back. "Beautiful, it's going to be okay. Most concussion patients have some memory loss. It'll come back, you'll see."

Both were so absorbed in Stephanie's grief, that they didn't hear the door open.

Lester was holding her tightly and cooing soft words of comfort in her hair, so he didn't hear Ranger come through the door.

_What the heck was Lester doing in his apartment and why was he holding a woman?_ Ranger's voice was like steel and laced with fury, as he spoke, "Santos, since when do you bring your latest piece of ass to my apartment?"

They jumped away from their embrace and it was the first time Ranger noticed that the woman was crying. Now, he felt like shit. Wait….wait, just a damn minute, those were his eyes. Those were the eyes that had led him out of the darkness. In the background of the dreams, he remembered the smooth color of peaches that was the exact color of this woman's skin. Her eyes weren't any of the colors he'd dreamed about, but he was sure they were the same eyes. In an instant, the color changed to a color he'd seen often in his dream. Ice.

"For your information, I'm not his piece of ass. I'm yours." She didn't give a damn if he had amnesia or the Asian flu, he needed to get one thing straight and that was that she wasn't going to take his shit. This might be her worst nightmare come true, but that didn't mean she was going to stand around and be talked to like dirt.

She was standing right in front of him now and he caught her scent, her shampoo tingled his nose as visions of summer rain assaulted his sense of smell. His eyes took in the huge rock on her finger that lay beside a delicate, white band of gold. When he looked back at her eyes, she was pointedly looking down at his left hand. Since those stunning eyes weren't looking at him, he couldn't resist the urge to see what held their attention. Slowly, he followed the angle of her eyes and froze. It was the first time he'd noticed the slim white band on his ring finger. It was the mate to hers.

Ranger's eyes snapped back up to Stephanie's in shock. In a low, lethal voice, he asked, "Are you telling me that we're married?"

His jaws clenched and Stephanie knew that blank look – it was the one he'd used to keep her out for two years. Well, bully for him, she could do the blank look too. She forced herself to stand still and not fidget.

Ranger watched her as she stood still as a statue with her arms locked across her chest, like they were restraints holding her together. Her chin was held high in the air. Yep. He had his answer. He was married. Shit. Fuck. Damn. Hold the phone….he was married….married to peaches and cream….married to baby blue eyes. Well hell, he could definitely see the benefits. She was smoking hot and from her stance, didn't take his shit. And since she was already his wife, he might just keep her. _Ranger, man, you are one sick individual!_

Sometime during the stand-off, Tank and Bobby came in, skidding to a halt at the tension that sparked the air. "Ranger, man, you dumped that bombshell on me and then bailed so fast, I didn't think or have time to tell you, you're married. This is Stephanie Plum Manoso, your wife."

Ranger held up his hand, keeping the big man from babbling himself to death. "How long?"

Bobby responded, "Seven months."

Stephanie had had enough. She needed to be away from here. What she needed was to be somewhere alone, so she could beat her chest, wail, and pull her hair at the unfairness of it all. Whoever planted that bomb had succeeded. He'd taken her life away, just when it was finally perfect.

"I'm going to go stay at the house on Fairfield. We'll all get a good night's rest and discuss this rationally in the morning." She tried to quell the quaking of her voice, but wasn't very successful.

Before Ranger could respond, "Like hell you are," Tank and Bobby intervened.

"Uh…Bomber, that might not be such a good idea. We don't know who planted that bomb and it had to be somebody that knew you guys were coming back from your honeymoon. It would be best, if the two of you continued to show a unified front in the presence of others."

Bobby cleared his throat, "I agree with Tank, for those reasons and for others as well. Most concussion victims have some memory loss, but it is the routine of going about one's business that usually triggers their return. Besides, he'll need someone to show him the new programs when he goes back to work and you've had the latest training. Steph, listen, we can't be with him every minute and you guys have implemented a lot of changes over the past seven months. He won't remember even a fraction of our clients. There's also the RangeMan investors, the last thing we need is for them to get wind that Ranger has amnesia. After last year, that'll give them all the reason they need to come nosing around."

Stephanie threw up her hands. They were both right. She might not like the situation, but she wasn't going to abandon Ranger in his time of need. "Fine. I'll sleep on the couch."

_Over his dead body_ was all Ranger could think. No way was he letting her sleep on the couch. If they were married, then this was her home too. What kind of callous jerk would throw a woman out of her own home? Not him. Besides, all he really wanted to do since he walked into this room was touch her skin to see if it was as soft as it looked. When she was in bed with him tonight, he could lay beside her and inhale her scent all he wanted, without all this constant chatter about them.

Tank and Bobby knew her 'fine' was their dismissal.

Ranger watched like a hawk as Tank came over and folded Stephanie into his arms. He kissed her on the cheek and left. Bobby came over to her and handed her a bottle of pills, squeezing her hand in support. "Take one in the morning with the breakfast that Ella brings up. I know it's going to be tough for you, but please, eat the liver that I told her to make tomorrow night. It's the best source of iron. We'll see you in the morning."

Ranger noticed that Lester didn't move from his post. _What was up with him?_ Lester should know that his woman was off limits. _His woman?_ In the twenty minutes he'd been in this apartment, he'd gone from being pissed as hell, to being pleased as shit. Yeah, she was his by law and he was going to take full advantage of that fact. The possessive feelings that were boiling hot through his veins were foreign to his solitary lifestyle, but they felt right for some reason.

Stephanie stepped out of the kitchen with two bottles of water. She handed one to him and two pills. She twisted the top off hers and drank. When he gave her a quizzical eyebrow, she shrugged her shoulders. "If you want to stand there with a throbbing headache, that's your choice. You smell like antiseptic. Why don't you go take a shower?"

_What the hell?_ She was giving him orders and the way she did it, made him feel like pulling her against his chest, bending her back and kissing her senseless. Normally, he didn't take orders, but he had this insane urge to please her.

With that announcement, she moved past Lester and went into Ranger's office. Ranger gave Lester a look that said, "Get lost," but he didn't take the hint. Guess he'd take a page from Stephanie's book and ignore him as well. Lester could stand here all night doing his guard dog impression for all Ranger cared. He was going to take a shower and figure out how to get his 'wife' to sleep with him.

Stephanie stood in the office. It'd been stripped bare while they were gone on their honeymoon. It only held the desk and a laptop. She and Ranger had wanted to turn it into a nursery for when they stayed at the apartment. Now, it was just a stark reminder of what she'd lost. She heard Ranger start the shower and went to the kitchen to rummage for some food. She just rolled her eyes at Lester and his guard dog impression.

In the refrigerator, she found some yogurt and decided that would probably be best on her rolling stomach. She polished off the creamy mixture and tossed the empty container into the trash as Ranger strolled out of the bedroom in nothing but his black silk sleep pants. She nearly cried when she saw the hickey on his neck she'd left on him only a few hours before. Now, the marking wasn't even a blur in his head. She wanted to shout, curse and scream, but knew it would be useless. She'd have to pull out the reserves and return to the land of denial.


	3. Chapter 3

*****AN: I don't own anything and am not making any money. This is just how I'd like to see the story go.**

_In the refrigerator, she found some yogurt and decided that would probably be best on her rolling stomach. She polished off the creamy mixture and tossed the empty container into the trash as Ranger strolled out of the bedroom in nothing but his black silk sleep pants. She nearly cried when she saw the hickey on his neck she'd left on him only a few hours before. Now, the marking wasn't even a blur in his head. She wanted to shout, curse and scream, but knew it would be useless. She'd have to pull out the reserves and return to the land of denial. _

"After the Darkness"

Chapter 3

"Awkwardness"

Stephanie realized she must be drooling and quickly admonished herself. _He doesn't even know who I am,_ she thought. She had to give him time to come to grips with the fact that they're married. As that ugly thought passed through her mind, she had to close her eyes to fight back the tears. _What if he didn't want to remain married to her? What if he never got back his memories and wanted a divorce?_ Oh hell, that's not happening, no way, no how. _As soon as she could get her feet planted on the ground again, she was going to fight for her man._

Ranger saw first the desire flash in her eyes and then the inner turmoil Stephanie was dealing with as her eyes turned dark then crystal with the pain. He didn't have a clue how to fix this. He did know how to deal with Lester, though. "What the fuck are you still doing here?" Ranger barked out at Lester.

Lester stonewalled him, blanked faced and unmoving.

_What the hell?_

"He's afraid you'll hurt me or something ridiculous like that. I told him not to worry, because I was sleeping on the couch and that you'd never hurt me." Her voice was thick with emotion as she walked around the two alpha males engaged in their staring contest and went to the bathroom.

His chest puffed up with pride as she stated her confidence in him and then he thought_ 'Like hell, she was sleeping on the couch'. _But that's something he'd deal with that after he got rid of Lester. "You got a bone for my wife?"

"No, she's my responsibility." Lester could play bad ass, just as well as Ranger, when the occasion called for it.

Ranger's voice was hard and menacing. "And who the hell put you in charge of my 'wife's' well being?" The word 'wife' didn't stick in his throat as he would have thought. Instead, it flowed from his mouth with an ease he wasn't entirely comfortable with.

Anger seethed out as Lester responded, "You did, asshole."

Ranger started towards Lester, but his steps faltered. _Shit._ That's exactly what he'd do. He'd ask Lester to look after somebody he cared about if something happened to him. "Look, man, have you ever known me to hurt a woman?" When Lester shook his head, Ranger continued, "We're going to bed, to sleep. We're both injured, tired and it's been one hell of a day. I give you my word, that I won't do or say anything to cause her anymore pain tonight."

Lester nodded and turned toward the door, but paused with his hand on the knob to look back at his boss and friend. "Ranger, I know you don't understand all of this, but she loves you like nothing you've ever seen before. Don't get me wrong about what I'm about to tell you, because Stephanie is one of the strongest women that I've ever encountered, but she's fragile right now. And I know this is a shock and seems foreign to you, but please, treat her lightly. Trust me. You'll never forgive yourself, if you fuck this up."

Ranger stared at the door, taking in Lester's comments. From the moment he'd walked in the room and smelled her, saw the sea of blue eyes, and heard her voice, he knew he had to have her. She was his and he intended to keep her. His mind might not remember her, but his body sure did, and he was beginning to think his heart did too.

He felt a tingling run up his spine and knew she was back in the room.

"Did my guard dog decide that I was safe and leave for the night?" She was trying to brush off the tension she'd felt between the two men. She didn't want to be the cause of bad vibes between the long standing friends and co-workers.

"Yeah, you were right about one thing. He was afraid I'd hurt you. Not physically, but….you know." Ranger shrugged trying to find the right words. They didn't come. Instead, his mouth had a mind of its own. "But, you were wrong about the sleeping arrangements. You'll sleep in your own bed." They'd just make the best of the situation. Deep in his gut, he knew that he had to sleep beside her and he wasn't going to be denied. If he had to wait till she fell asleep on the couch and then carry her to their bed, then that's what he was going to do.

"Ranger, you can't sleep on that couch. It's not long enough and you'll be miserable."

"Stephanie," he saw her shiver when he said her name and frowned. _What the hell was that all about? _It wasn't the good type of shiver he'd seen go through her when he'd entered the room without a shirt. It was…._what? A shiver of revulsion? Hell, what'd he do wrong?_ He just said her name.

"Look, undoubtedly, we've slept together every night for what the past seven or eight months. I'm sure we can make it through another. It is utter nonsense for either of us to sleep on the couch, when there's a perfectly good king size bed in the bedroom." He was tired and didn't want any more conflict. He figured she was going to argue with him, but he figured wrong.

"Fine, but I'm going to watch television for a while before going to bed." She knew it was weak to want to sleep beside him under the circumstances, but she couldn't resist the temptation. Besides, how was she going to fight for her man if she avoided contact with him? She plopped down on the couch and began flipping through the channels. She wasn't really seeing what was on the tube. Instead, she contemplated sleeping next to him with him not remembering her. As she wracked her brain for a solution, she heard Ranger on the phone ordering dinner. Well hell, she should have thought he'd be hungry.

Naturally, returning to concerned wife mode, she commented offhanded. "I'm sorry, Ranger. I should have thought you'd be hungry. I ate earlier and just didn't think about it."

Ranger frowned, _why should she have thought about his needs?_ Oh, yeah, right. Wife. Shit, this was fucked up. "Not a problem, Stephanie. I'm used to taking care of myself." He saw her shiver again when he said her name and the furrow between his brows deepened.

Stephanie's only thought was, _yeah, three years ago, he'd only had himself to take care of_. She needed to do something to occupy herself. All of this was just too weird, felt all wrong. They were right back to where they'd been three years ago in that diner. Looking down at her feet and wondering how they were going to survive this, she had a thought. _Denial. Nails._ She'd give herself a much needed pedicure. She went to the bathroom and found what she needed and went back to the living room to work on her chipped polish.

Ella must have brought Ranger a sandwich while she was in the bathroom, because he was sitting on the couch eating. Ignoring the desire to brush by him and leave a soft kiss on his head, she plopped down on the sofa and began working on her toes.

_He watched as she stroked the blood red polish on her toes. Her feet were perfectly proportioned and her toes were straight and even as they made little stair steps across her feet. Shit._ He'd never thought something as simple as watching a woman paint her toenails would be erotic. However, he was beginning to think everything Stephanie did was erotic to him. The way she moved her hands when she talked, the sway of her hips as she walked and the inflection of her voice when she said 'Ranger' were all just the beginning of the things he thought were sexy.

He finished his sandwich and returned the dishes to the sink. He probably should put them in the dishwasher, but decided to just leave them where they were. When he returned to the living room, Stephanie had finished her toes and had some kind of foam contraption stuck between her painted toes.

He stretched out his legs and propped his bare feet on the coffee table and settled in to watch her. She was different from the women he normally dated. She wasn't clingy or demanding and seemed to have a sense of who she was. That was probably the attraction that she held for him.

Hell, what was he talking about? He didn't date, did he? What he remembered is that he had a few women that he used for sexual release. It was a mutual agreement that held no strings. What happened to those women and their arrangement? He found as he watched the intriguing woman beside him that he didn't care. He wanted no other woman when she was sitting beside him. Is that how they ended up married? Had he become so entranced with her that he'd given up his bachelor status? And what about his dangerous lifestyle? How in the world had he justified her entrance into his life?

Stephanie knew he was watching her. The silence between them was deafening to her. She wasn't sure what was going on in his head. In the three years since they'd met, she'd come to understand him. Well, more like, he'd allowed her access to his mind. He was shutting her out now though. She squeezed her eyes shut tight with the pain that caused. No, she wasn't going to let him. She needed to find a break in his control, so she could tell him about the baby. Again, she squeezed her eyelids tight, battling the tears. She couldn't do it yet. She was having a hard enough time coming to grips with it by herself. If she had to actually voice the reality, to him, she'd break in half.

Opening her eyes, she saw Ranger's feet on the table, crossed at the ankles. It was one of those intimately manly things that always made her heart flutter in her chest. As she studied his feet, growing warm with the effect that he always had over her, she hadn't realized he'd reached out. Her head snapped up from her inner dialogue as Ranger coiled a sprig of her hair around his fingers. Stephanie froze as their eyes locked. He quickly dropped the strand just as she stood up and hurriedly said, "I'm going to bed. It's been a long day."

As she'd fled from the room, Ranger cursed himself. He shouldn't have touched her. He'd known he shouldn't, but couldn't convince himself not to, couldn't stop his body from reaching out to hers. The shimmering strand had been an enticement to him. It seemed like a natural reflex, to reach out and play with the ringlet that'd been calling to him. And he'd known he'd be right. It was soft, silky and perfect. Sighing deeply, he went to join her in bed. If he wasn't a monster, he'd stretch out on the couch and leave her alone. That wasn't an option though. He had to be near her, he felt it in his soul.

On his way, he stopped by his office. He'd seen her go in this room twice tonight. _What was in here that held her attention?_ He swung open the door and blinked. It had been stripped bare, except for his desk and a laptop. It was as if they'd been preparing to redecorate. That couldn't be right. He liked having an office in the apartment. _What could have been so important to cause him to give up his personal space?_

Lost in her private thoughts, she barely heard him slide into bed. They lay there awkwardly, both unsure of where to place their bodies.

As Stephanie flopped around trying to find a comfortable position, Ranger lay on his side watching her fight with her discomfort. She froze when he reached out and toyed with the strap of her tank top.

"Do you always sleep in that?"

"No."

He had to know, "What do you normally wear to bed?"

Heavy sigh from her, "For the past eight months, I haven't slept in anything. We're newlyweds for Christ's sake." The edge was evident in her voice, as she snapped out the retort.

A man of action and few words, Ranger reached over and pulled her into his body. "Evidently, you don't sleep on that side of the bed either. You'll be more comfortable if you sleep in your normal position." Feeling as if he'd won the lottery when she didn't wiggle free, he thought about the feel of her in his arms. His mind may not remember her, but, oh yeah, his body definitely knew where to position hers. It was almost as if their bodies were pieces of a puzzle that needed to be fit together.

As Stephanie struggled to sleep, she thought about how weird this was. She felt like she was going to bed with a stranger, but not. She could still feel their connection, that spark and inner pull, but not the closeness or growth they'd shared as a couple and that she'd become accustomed to over the years. It was like everything had been stripped away from her. And she wasn't really even beginning to deal with the fact that she'd lost their baby.

From the first day she'd missed her period, the baby had become real to her. The planning and preparing had instantly started in her head and she'd already laid claim to the life growing inside her. The disappointment was more than she could deal with at this time – she'd do what she did best – live in denial.

At the comforting feel of being in his embrace, she sighed and let sleep claim her. Maybe, when she woke in the morning, this would all have been a very bad dream.

Ranger lay there for a long time, watching her sleep. He could see the fatigue and worry etched in her face all night. As he watched her drift off to sleep, all of that washed away from her face and what he saw took his breath away. She was gorgeous in sleep. No, that wasn't the right word. He battled for the right word to put toward the angelic face. Precious. _Where the hell had that word come from?_

With the word came an unfamiliar feeling for him, tenderness. Well hell, that's not something he was expecting to feel towards her. He'd expected to feel the desire, had been since he walked into the apartment, but the feelings of protectiveness were a shock to him. The feelings were overwhelming, but they felt instinctively accurate. As a feeling of completeness settled over him, he finally allowed himself to fall asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

******AN: Just playing around with JE's world. Don't own anything and not making anything. Words can never express how much you're response to my stories mean. I've enjoyed playing around with this story and hope you've enjoyed reading it. Forever thanks to my Beta, Angie. Without her, you'd be reading gibberish.**

_Ranger lay there for a long time, watching her sleep. He could see the fatigue and worry etched in her face all night. As he watched her drift off to sleep, all of that washed away from her face and what he saw took his breath away. She was gorgeous in sleep. No, that wasn't the right word. He battled for the right word to put toward the angelic face. Precious. Where the hell had that word come from? _

_With the word came an unfamiliar feeling for him, tenderness. Well hell, that's not something he was expecting to feel towards her. He'd expected to feel the desire, had been since he walked into the apartment, but the feelings of protectiveness were a shock to him. The feelings were overwhelming, but they felt instinctively accurate. As a feeling of completeness settled over him, he finally allowed himself to fall asleep._

"After The Darkness"

Chapter 4

"Babe"

He saw her blue eyes and followed them under a waterfall. He had her bathing suit peeled off in the blink of an eye. Her body glistened with the water that cascaded over her taut nipples and he pinned her to the rock wall behind her. She was a hellcat as she clawed his back and wrapped her legs around his hips. Grasping her ass, he plunged deeply into her, chanting 'home' in his head. She took him deeply within her womanhood as their tongues dueled for supremacy. He could see himself pound into her relentlessly. Rock hard and pounding with the intensity of the desire, he took them over the edge as they screamed each other's name.

Ranger woke to the sweet scent of peaches and a summer rain. He must have gone on one hell of bender, if he brought a woman into his home. He never allowed anyone into his personal space. Except this time, he guessed he did, because there was a naked leg entwined with his and a massive amount of hair splayed across his chest. He reached down to pick up the hand that was splayed across his heart and that's when he saw the ring on his left hand.

In an instant, everything from yesterday came flashing back to him. This wasn't one of his standing engagements. It was Stephanie Plum….Manoso. His wife. He brushed the hair away from the face that was pressed into his chest. The thought from last night replayed in his mind. Precious. He watched as she burrowed deeper into his chest. A deep 'hmmmm' came from her and then a sigh as she said his name. And then, she was awake and scrambling up.

"Uh…morning. Sorry, we always wake up tangled like that." She knew she was rambling, but couldn't help it. They just stared at each other.

A memory of the dream flashed and Ranger shook his head. "Stephanie, it's alright. I don't want you uncomfortable in your own home. I'm going to take a shower." He tried to discreetly get up without her seeing his erection. The combination of the dream and her mesmerizing scent had him in a state of complete arousal. He'd have to take a cold shower or take care of the matter himself.

Surprisingly, Stephanie had awakened with an improved attitude. Sometime, during her dreams, she'd made up her mind. She wasn't losing her husband. The bomber might have taken her child, but she'd be damned, if he was going to take her husband, too. She was going to do just what Bobby had said. She was going to go about her daily routine and hope that his memories came back. If they didn't, they'd make new ones. As she heard the shower shut off, she dialed Ella's extension and requested breakfast.

That's when she heard it. Ranger bellowed from the bathroom, 'Fuck'. The door swung open and one hot-tempered Cuban stepped over the threshold, a towel swung loosely around his hips. _Oh, my. He was hot when he was in a foul mood._

"What the fuck is this on my shoulder?" His eyes flashed with anger.

Stephanie had to smother a nervous giggle with her hand. "We got them on our honeymoon."

He was examining his tattoo in the dresser mirror and his eyes snapped to hers at her comment. "You have one, too?" At her slow nod, he demanded, "Show me." He watched as she rose up to her knees on the bed and then he gulped when her hands went to the waistband of her boxers. Slowly, she pulled her shorts down to one side and what he saw made the blood pound in his veins. Here was certifiable proof that she was his. He'd marked her and she him. Un-fucking-believable. He'd never allowed anyone to claim ownership of him. But….he had and the emotions that swamped him were completely foreign.

How had this slip of a woman managed to get under his skin? All theses feeling, the wedding ring he couldn't force himself to remove, and a tattoo that marked him as belonging to another. Had he changed that much in three year? He searched his brain for something, anything that could have been a defining moment that had inspired him to veer so far off the course and lifestyle he'd been content with. His only answer was staring at him boldly, the love, passion, and desire flowing from her steel blue eyes.

Stephanie watched as he battled the emotions and felt moved to comfort him. She rose and went to stand before him. "Ranger, it was something we both wanted at the time. If you feel the need to remove it, I'll understand." She pushed some of the hair on his forehead in an unconscious gesture and then left to go to the bathroom.

He stood there lost in his thoughts for a minute before responding, "I won't."

She smiled as she heard the comment and started the shower.

Stephanie had just wrapped herself in a towel when she overheard Ella talking to Ranger in the kitchen. Quickly, she threw on her usual RangeMan attire and went to the kitchen with her sopping wet hair. _What?_ She was hungry.

"Good Morning, Ella." The maternal housekeeper smiled warmly and greeted her in kind.

"Stephanie, I brought you link sausages for extra iron. Bobby said that the iron pills might make you queasy and that it'd be better if you got your iron from natural sources. So, if you'll eat plenty of iron rich foods, you may be able to discontinue the pills." She patted Stephanie tenderly on the arm.

"Thanks, Ella. You always take good care of me." Stephanie said with a small smile.

"You know I love taking care of you. Also, the boxes you and Ranger shipped back from your honeymoon arrived. I'll have Hal bring them up later." Ella left Ranger and Stephanie to their meal.

Ranger cleared his throat. "So, where did we get them?" He really wanted to know if it had anything to do with that damn dream_. Is that where they were when they got their matching brands?_

Stephanie paused with her coffee half-way to her lips. "Bora-Bora. It was the last leg of our honeymoon." It was strange to have to tell him things he should know.

_Bora-Bora._ Could be, but it didn't feel right. This felt more like a river in the states. He was feeling frustrated and a killer headache was coming on from trying to remember. He watched as Stephanie stood and retrieved two pain pills for him and her iron pills. She laid the two pain pills in front of him, causing him to wonder how she knew, but he took them without comment.

When they arrived on the fifth floor, Ranger was flummoxed at the reception. His men who would normally hunker down at his arrival, sprung up to greet…..Stephanie? One-by-one they each came over to give her a hug and welcome her back and say they were glad she was feeling better. Ranger silently observed as the great big men he relied on to watch his back, showed both warmth and respect towards his wife. He wasn't sure he'd ever get used to that word.

He headed to his office and was surprised that Stephanie followed him. In his office, he found the reason she'd followed. His office was no longer his. It was theirs. _Holy Hell, will the surprises ever cease?_ Across from his mahogany desk, was another identical desk complete with items he was sure were hers. On top of that, his desk sported several unfamiliar items. Knicknacks with his initials had replaced the plain ordinary ones from before. They were all simple items, a business card holder, a paper weight and leather covered appointment book. They all looked so….professional. And then there was the digital photo frame. He watched as images of Stephanie and him over a period of time flashed on the screen.

He was entranced by the images. It was like their entire relationship played out in sequential order. Along with the desire and possessiveness, another foreign feeling came over him as he watched the display. _Comfort._

Flipping on his computer, he saw Stephanie do the same at her desk. When the screen came on, he understood what Bobby had been talking about last night. He didn't recognize any of the programs. He also didn't recognize the background. It was a picture of him and Stephanie standing in front of a cabin. _Ah….the dream_. This must be where they'd been when they were in the waterfall.

Sometime during his meanderings, Stephanie had come to stand behind him. "I can show you the new system first, if you want." Ranger nodded. He was trying to come to grips with all this and it had his mind boggling. Efficiently, Stephanie showed him the new programs and then pulled up his 2007 files.

"If you'll start with 2007, I'll start with 2008. That way we're not overlapping each other. I guess we need to look for anybody with experience with bombs." When Ranger nodded, she went back to her desk and got to work.

Throughout the day, they worked in mostly silence. Except when, Lester or Tank would stop by, check on their progress and then go back to further research anybody they'd flagged. Bobby came in twice to remind Stephanie to take breaks and brought her a bowl of beans. Ranger almost laughed out loud at her expression of disgust.

"You'll really be laughing when these hit my digestive system." Then she covered her mouth with mortification.

"Stephanie, I was in the Army with a bunch of uncouth men. I'm sure nothing your digestive system can come up with can compete. Eat your beans like a good girl." Dammit! There was that shiver again. _What the hell was he doing wrong_? He was trying his best to just act naturally with her, but every time he said her name, she had a response that wasn't pleasant. He could also feel the air go cold with her response.

The intercom buzzed, "Talk."

"Sir, Detective Morelli just requested entrance." Ranger rolled his shoulders to relieve the tension that burrowed into him.

"Send him up." He saw the mortified look on Stephanie's face and he was sure it had nothing to do with the beans. He gave her a quizzical eyebrow, "Problems?"

She brushed him off. "No, no, it's just that it's probably time for me to go and rest for a bit." She stood and started clearing her desk and shutting down her computer.

Ranger stood too, "What's going on, Stephanie?"

"It's complicated and you're not going to understand because you don't remember."

He could see her panic, "Try me."

She sighed deeply, "Between the years of 2007 and 2008, Joe and I had an on-again, off-again, relationship."

He tried to absorb this information, "I thought……we were together?" He watched as she battled with an answer.

"You're life didn't lend itself to relationships." She toyed with a pen, trying to avoid his penetrating look.

"So, not once in two years, did I try to make a move?" He was shocked at her laugh that was a mixture of sadness and irony.

"You had moves, in spades, and we spent….one night together, but your moves came without strings. Listen, Ranger, like I said, it's complicated and I really don't want to be here….." _Shit._ The intercom buzzed again alerting them to Morelli's arrival.

In frustration, Ranger snapped out an order for Morelli's entrance.

Joe noticed immediately the freeze in the room. Internally, he was doing a happy dance. If there was friction, maybe…just maybe, he was back in the game. The devil on his shoulder was cheering. The angel was shaking his head sadly.

"Cupcake, glad to see you're feeling better. Manoso, I came for your files."

_Well, guess he now knew who Cupcake was. _Ranger was seething, but reigned in his emotions. He didn't like the cop's tender and possessive expression towards his wife. And he sure as hell didn't like the man coming in and demanding access to his files. "It'll be a cold day in hell, before I hand over my files. My client's confidentiality is what makes my company credible." He now understood the cop's attitude towards him. He'd gotten the girl and Morelli hadn't, apparently the cop was still having trouble dealing with that little rub. Too bad for him, she was his, the wedding rings on their fingers proved it. Morelli better watch his step with his wife because, even though he didn't remember everything, he'd be damned if he was sharing with anyone…especially this sore loser.

Bobby strode into the room. "Bomber, it's time for you to go rest for a while. I promised your doctor you would take breaks during the day when you returned to work."

Stephanie was glad to escape the uncomfortable temperature in the room. First the conversation with Ranger was far from being over, and then Joe. Hell, he just had to come in all bull-headed and demanding. Then, there was the way Joe looked at her with possession. She was more than sure that Ranger hadn't missed the look. She tried to step around Joe and out of the room, but his hand shot out and grasped her arm.

She could feel the temperature in the room skyrocket as she looked down at Joe's hand.

"Steph, can I talk to you alone for a minute?" His eyes were pleading and his voice was soft.

She shook her head. She was certain of what he wanted to talk about. She wasn't ready to talk about losing the baby with her husband, much less of all people, Joe. "No. I've got to rest. You can stay and discuss the case with Ranger, but I've got to go." She knew her voice was strained and clogged with tears. Then in a low voice, she said, "Let me go, Joe." She knew Ranger was getting angry, she could feel it bouncing off her skin. She wasn't sure how to handle any of this. She didn't want Ranger to think she still had feelings for Joe and she felt guilty for leaving him with a spewing Italian, but she had to get out of here, and fast.

Lester arrived and took control. "There you are, Beautiful. I was just coming to escort you back to the apartment." In a smooth move, Lester took Stephanie's arm from Joe's grasp and led her from the room.

Ranger watched the exchange and felt the inner turmoil battling. He should have stepped in, but he wanted to see Stephanie's reaction to Joe. Relief washed over him when he didn't feel any sexual vibes coming from her. Instead, he felt her feelings of panic and fear. _Did the man hurt her?_ If Joe had been responsible for hurting one hair on her head, he'd kill him with his bare hands and chop his body to bits.

Joe stared at Stephanie's retreating form and was surprised to find Ranger breathing down his neck.

"You'll keep your hands to yourself in the future." Ranger could barely contain his anger.

"Look, Stephanie and I have a history together. She's obviously in pain and you don't seem to be doing anything about it. If she needs a shoulder to lean on, I'll be glad to provide it." Joe knew he was baiting the tiger, but couldn't seem to stop himself.

At Joe's smug look, Ranger had a flash of a memory of slamming Joe to a wall and decided it was worth repeating. When he had Joe dangling against the wall, he told him, "We've been here before. You've been warned and the next time won't be a warning."

He dropped Joe and stepped back. Tank had stepped in by this time. "Morelli, I told you we'd be forthcoming with any information, when we had it. Now, I suggest you leave and quit trying to stir up trouble. She made her choice and there's no sense in you pulling the tiger's tail every time we have to have dealings with each other."

Lester stepped back in the room and gave Ranger a nod that he'd settled Stephanie.

Joe strode to the door, "I'll be back tomorrow. I'll be expecting a full report of any findings you have."

As soon as Joe was in the elevator, Ranger strode towards the door, intending to go see about Stephanie. Both Lester and Tank put a restraining hand on him.

"Ranger, man, don't go up there right now. She's resting and you're in no mood to soothe her." Lester was pleading with him. She was shaking with fatigue and nerves by the time they'd made it to the apartment and he didn't want Ranger anywhere near her right now.

"I'll go see about my _wife_ now and if you don't remove your hands, you'll both find yourself in third world countries before the sun sets." He wasn't surprised that they both reluctantly stepped back. He stalked to the stairs needing the physical exertion before going to the apartment. Tank and Lester were probably both right, but he needed to see her. He needed to know she was alright, to touch her, and to look into her vivid blue eyes.

This sucked balls. To know that you had this undeniable connection to someone, and yet unable to remember why, was like living a nightmare. When he reached the door of the apartment, he leaned in and rested his forehead on the door. Taking deep breaths to calm himself, he wondered if he was making the right decision going into the apartment. It was like his other half was waiting for him and he couldn't wipe that thought out of his mind.

Maybe what he needed was to relieve some of this tension. And since working out in the gym was out of the question, due to his head injury, maybe he could find another type of release. The thought of a sexual release with his sexy wife had conflicting emotions running through him. Sure, he wanted it, and boy, did he want it. He could see in her eyes that she wanted it, too, but something was keeping him from pushing the envelope. Taking a deep sigh, he twisted the door knob and entered the apartment.

As he stepped in, Stephanie came out of the bedroom rubbing a towel over her wet hair. She'd taken a bath and changed into some lounge pants and a snug thermal top. Ranger could smell her shampoo and soap from where he was standing.

In two strides, he was across the room with her body plastered against his. He could smell her desire with an underlying scent of fear. He'd meant to be tender, and had thought he'd reigned in his foul mood. Instead he asked her, "Are you scared of me, Stephanie?" When she shook her head and grasped his biceps, he continued, "I try real hard not to do anything stupid, that includes nonconsensual sex – I will make a move with partial consent."

He saw her lips move, but he couldn't hear anything she was saying because a hot, blinding, white light streaked through his head. He stumbled back, grasping his head with both hands. A single image played in his head over and over again. _Joe and Stephanie….kissing_. He heard her voice, but couldn't understand the words. Her hands gently guided him to the couch and helped him to lie down. She left, but was back in a heartbeat with a bottle of water and some Tylenol.

When the pain had subsided to a dull roar, he opened his eyes to look at her. Tears streaked her face and he felt remorse for his actions. Before he could apologize, she started talking.

"I know there are a lot of things you don't understand. I….I'm just not ready. I can't…." She couldn't explain and she couldn't be here right now. She grabbed her coat and started for the door.

"Can't or won't, Stephanie?" Her hand was on the knob when he heard her whisper, "Can't."

When she flew out of the room, she nearly bowled over Lester. She didn't stop and didn't care where she ended up.

Ranger heard the door hit the wall and jerked up from the couch.

"What the fuck did you say to her?" Lester barked accusingly.

"It's none of your damn business what happens between Stephanie and me!"

Lester seethed as he headed out the door, "You don't have a clue what you've got and right now, you're a bigger moron than you were the two years before the two of you got together!"

Lester had heard the door to the rooftop slam and knew where Stephanie had headed. He found her huddled on ground, her arms wrapped around herself, sobbing uncontrollably. He knelt beside her and took her in his arms. He didn't say anything because he didn't have the words to tell her it would all be okay. So, he just held her as she sobbed and let out what she'd been holding in for two days.

"Oh God, Lester. I lost the baby. Mine and Ranger's baby. I lost it and now I'm losing him, because he doesn't understand. He's the love of my life and I'm losing him because I can't tell him. He doesn't understand that I waited for him for two years and was only with Joe because he sent me back to him. If he doesn't remember on his own, he'll never understand. I know he won't because most days, I don't even understand myself and I remember living it. And when I tell him about the baby, he won't understand how much we both wanted it or the joy we felt when we went into that store to buy a pregnancy test. How do I tell him, Lester, that I lost our baby when I can barely breathe the words myself?"

Lester had tears in his eyes when he looked up to see Ranger stepping out of the shadow. If Lester hadn't seen the sadness in Ranger's eyes, he wouldn't have released her into his arms. If he hadn't seen the shimmering of tears for himself, he wouldn't have believed it and he wouldn't have been able to leave them on the rooftop.

Ranger rocked her and stroked her as she sobbed into his shoulder. He could tell she knew it was him because she all but climbed on him, holding on for dear life.

"I'm so sorry, Ranger. I can't do this by myself. I need you, Ranger. I can't take not being close to you. You're my life, my heart."

He buried his head into her neck, "Oh God, Babe. I'm so sorry. I didn't know. You don't have to do this by yourself. I'm here. I may not remember our life together, but I want to. With all my heart, I want to remember you."

Stephanie pulled back a little and gave Ranger a puzzled look, "What did you call me?"

Ranger realized that this is why she always cringed a little when he called her Stephanie. He called her something else, was it Babe? "Is that what I call you and why your whole body cringes when I call you Stephanie?"

Stephanie nodded, "You only call me Stephanie when you're mad at me or I do something ridiculous. Wait….was it a memory? My name?"

Ranger shrugged, "Not sure…it just felt right."

"No blinding pain?" She watched as he shrugged again.

"No, it's just what I've been calling you in my head. It started out as baby blue eyes, because I dreamed of them in the hospital." He stroked her back and then her face. "I don't know what's going to happen, but until we figure it all out, I think we need to do like Bobby said and go about our normal routine." When she nodded her agreement, he said, "C'mon, Babe, let's go watch some television and relax. We've had enough tension and drama for one day."

"On one condition, you don't sit there and stare at me the whole time. It makes me uncomfortable, like you're trying to figure out an enigma."

"Babe, you are an enigma to me. Three years ago, it was beyond my imagination that I would ever marry again. I'm trying to figure out….everything….I know Bobby said it was better for me to remember on my own, but do you think instead of watching television, you could tell me something about our life together? Anything that will help me understand how in the hell I went from being a confirmed bachelor to being married and planning…..a family?"

Stephanie nodded and followed him back to the apartment. The entire way, he held her hand and for the first time in two days, it felt right.


	5. Chapter 5

******AN: Thanks to all of you for your encouragement and enthusiasm. You've hung in there with me through three stories waiting for your HEA. I promise it's coming soon. Angie girl, you're the greatest. As usual, don't own it and not making any money. Just having a lot of fun playing.**

"Babe, you are an enigma to me. Three years ago, it was beyond my imagination that I would ever marry again. I'm trying to figure out….everything….I know Bobby said it was better for me to remember on my own, but do you think instead of watching television, you could tell me something about our life together? Anything that will help me understand how in the hell I went from being a confirmed bachelor to being married and planning…..a family?"

Stephanie nodded and followed him back to the apartment. The entire way, he held her hand and for the first time in two days, it felt right.

"After the Darkness"

Chapter 5

"Brilliant Achievement"

Once they were back in the apartment, Ranger sat down on the couch and pulled Stephanie between his legs as she began the tale of how they finally became a couple. She started right after the phone call from Connie, trying hard to hit the highlights. He could tell she was leaving out a lot. For instance, _how in the hell they managed to only sleep together only once over a two year period of time?_ The physical attraction was like a big fat elephant sitting in the room. Some of her tale was unbelievable, like the time he found her in the cupboard and thought she was dead, or when she burned down a pot house, getting high in the process. He was astonished when she told him tale after tale of how she'd gotten into scrapes and he'd rescued her. It sounded more like a paper-back romance novel to him.

She yawned and stretched. They'd eaten a sandwich earlier, during a lull in the story telling, and now he could tell she was beat. As he helped her up from the couch, she turned to him and impulsively kissed him on the cheek.

"Thanks, Ranger. I think I needed that more than you did."

Ranger tucked a stray curl behind her ear, "My pleasure, Babe." He watched as she took her iron pills and now understood the anemia. He hadn't understood last night why she was taking iron pills, especially when he couldn't seem to find anything but a few minor abrasions when he'd inspected her body during the night. He'd felt like such a perv, while lifting the covers to examine her injuries. When he'd found only minimal damage, he'd been puzzled. Scrutinizing her body as she'd slept had made him feel like a peeping tom. In his mind, she felt like a stranger and yet…..there was this internal craving for her that wouldn't be denied.

In bed, Ranger propped up on his elbow and watched as she got ready for bed. He watched her go through her nightly routine and felt comforted by the ritual. She walked to the bed tousling her insanely beautiful hair. Instantly, he wanted her under him. _Down boy._

When she got in bed, it seemed natural for her to scoot close to him. He looked down at her with all that gorgeous hair splayed out on the pillow. He ran his hand through the silky tresses and then he locked eyes with her, "I'm going to kiss you now, Babe." When he saw her lips part, he knew it was his invitation.

He covered her mouth with his and it was an explosion in his head. This wasn't fireworks on the Fourth of July. Hell, it was more like the invasion of Normandy to his senses. Her mouth molded perfectly to his. She tasted like honey as their tongues danced to their own tune. It was fire, passion, and sweetness all rolled into one. Ranger finally pulled back and rested his head on her forehead, "That was better than I dreamed."

He lay down and pulled her in closer, "Is this how I hold you?"

"Not exactly."

He stroked her hair, "Show me."

She hesitated but then pulled his right arm under her pillow so that it was cradling her neck and then moved so that her bottom was against his groin and his erection was cradled in the crack of her behind. After a brief pause and some indecision, she positioned his left hand so that it cupped her breast.

_Oh, yeah._ This felt right to him. It felt more than right; it felt _perfect_ as her nipple puckered under his palm. She had a body that men dreamed about petite, pert breast with protruding nipples, legs made to wrap around a man. Oh no, not a man, him, him dammit, and that fucking hair was driving him insane.

Stephanie placed her hand in his and cleared her throat. "This doesn't seem right… or how should I say, fair?"

"Explain." It felt pretty damn spectacular to him.

"Us, lying here in bed, not being intimate. And me….not being able to… and you…you know ….uncomfortable." She lightly bumped against his erection to prove her point.

"Babe, I'm sure that we've lay in bed and not had sex before." At her stillness, he was shocked. He'd been having sex every day for the last seven months. "You mean even when you're on your cycle?"

"Well, not exactly."

He was enjoying lying next to her, just talking and learning about their life together and connection. "Explain not exactly." In his mind, you either had sex or you didn't.

She fidgeted a bit. He noticed she did that when she was nervous or embarrassed.

"Well you know….I take care of you….or we find other ways to relieve ourselves, even when I'm indisposed."

_Well…fuck me._ He wasn't quite sure what to make of her. He knew he'd never been with someone so…..giving. She'd hadn't complained, not one time in the past couple of days that he wasn't doing something right or that he was in her space. Somewhere along the line, between this morning and right now, he'd realized that she wasn't just a hot body and beautiful face. She was intelligent, funny, resilient and giving. She was someone that deserved to be cherished. He couldn't comprehend how he'd went two years without making her his.

"Babe, it's not a problem. Don't let it trouble you. Tell me more about our life. How did I propose?" He felt her fidgeting again.

"Ranger, I don't mind telling you about our life. However, if it's okay with you, the how and why of you proposing is something I'd like you to remember on your own." Her voice trembled with emotion.

"It's okay, Babe. You're probably right. Some things are better in first person."

She talked about Lula and how they'd met on Stark Street. Again, he felt she was skipping parts and that was alright with him. He really just wanted to hear her voice. He listened to the highs and lows of her pitch and knew when she was starting to drift off to sleep. He couldn't sleep though. He was too saturated in her to allow himself to fall asleep. He watched her until he couldn't hold his eyes open any longer and then he dreamed.

_His head emerged from the salty ocean spray to the vision of his wife lying topless on the beach. With swift steady strokes, he made his way back to the beach. He sunk to his knees beside his sleeping wife. With a fingertip, he swirled around her nipple until it pebbled and she arched into his touch. Bending low, he took the bud between his teeth and nipped lightly. When his hand found her mound, she gasped awake, responding with vigor. He took her over the edge with his mouth and fingers before he stripped their bottoms. He entered her slowly and restrained himself from taking her hard and fast. Their bodies moved in a delicious slow motion with their hands entwined. Poised above her with his cock entrenched in her heat, he could see the love beaming from her eyes and felt it burning a hole in his heart. He watched as her baby blues turned to sapphires as she climaxed. He shuddered and felt himself pulse into her with his own release._

He awoke in the same manner as the previous morning, but this time, he remembered who was wrapped around his body. Immediately, he remembered his dream and knew now that they weren't mere dreams. They were memories. He wasn't quite sure how Stephanie would feel about him only remembering their sex life.

He felt her when she awoke and he gripped her body, so that she wouldn't move away. "Don't you dare apologize. I like waking up like this." She melted into him and relaxed. They lay there for a while, just holding onto each other, absorbing each other's presence. Reluctantly, Ranger told her he better get in the shower. After he showered, she took her turn in the bathroom. While he waited on Ella to bring their breakfast, he leaned against the door jamb of the bathroom and watched her get ready for the day.

There was something that had been bothering him, "Babe, why did we wait so long after getting married to go on our honeymoon?" She didn't pause in applying her make-up.

"We had already been gone for two weeks, while you were healing from an injury. When we got back, we discussed it and decided that we both needed to be here. I needed to bring in some skips and learn more about the company. You needed to un-ruffle the feathers of the investors. We also knew that the holidays were coming and neither of us wanted to be away from our family during the holidays. So, we waited."

He watched her as she easily listed the reasons, watching intently for resentment. None. He saw no bitterness at him putting his business before their marriage. In fact, she seemed to consider it part of the package and more than happy to have put it off until it was convenient for both of them. Part of the reason he'd never gotten into a serious relationship before was because his life was so demanding. For the most part, relationships couldn't stand up to the daily demands. And yet, they'd seemed to do it for seven months. On impulse, he leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on her cheek before turning and striding out to open the door for Ella.

After breakfast, they walked down the stairs hand in hand to their office. When Ranger opened the door, he switched from holding her hand to wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her close. As they walked to the office, several employees stopped them to tell Stephanie about their weekend or inform her about a new piece of equipment. He resisted the urge to pull her closer as his men chatted with her and patted her shoulder or gently squeezed her arm. He could tell it was with sisterly affection. His men really admired and respected his wife and it made him swell with pride.

In the office, they decided to look over her cases. Ranger really just wanted to walk back through their relationship and knew this would be a good way to get her to talk some more.

He was just flipping through his notes on her first case. Of course, it was Joe Morelli. They just couldn't seem to get away from the man. "Babe, is this right?" He couldn't believe what he was reading in his own notes. For that matter, he couldn't believe he'd kept such extensive notes on her cases. She moved behind his desk and beside his chair. Leaning over him, she read his report.

She didn't resist when he reached up and pulled her down into his lap. Ranger fought the urge to smile smugly at getting her right where he wanted her.

"Yeah, this is right. I trapped him in the truck with the corpse and the evidence that eventually exonerated him from a murder rap." She smiled widely at the memory.

"What did he do when you got him to the Cop Shop?" He moved his hand to bury it in her curls. He wanted to kiss her again. The intercom buzzed and Stephanie pushed the button.

"Your dime."

Hal laughed at her antics, "Steph, Morelli's here again."

"Send him up," she turned her head to Ranger. "We really have to show a more unified front in his presence today. If he senses any weakness, he'll make my life miserable. He's never really gotten over our break-up."

"Babe, you're sitting in my lap. How much more unified do you want to get?" Before she could respond he took possession of her mouth and at the same time buzzed in Morelli.

Without removing his twinkling eyes from her, Ranger kissed her knuckles and said, "Morelli, what can my wife and I do for you?" Stephanie rolled her eyes at Ranger before turning to look at Joe questioningly.

"I came for the report on your files." Joe's voice was stilted. He'd expected to find the same atmosphere he'd encountered the day before. Instead, he could feel the sexual tension he'd always known existed between them. _Fuck._

"Joe, Lester has that report for you. I'm sorry, but we didn't see anything that sparked for us. Maybe, when you look over the information we gathered, you'll come up with something. We're going over Stephanie's files now and will send you that report when we finish. It'll be unnecessary for you to come get them, Lester will be glad to deliver them and…… see you on your way out."

And just like that, 'her' Ranger made a dramatic appearance, effectively cutting Joe off at the knees.

"Do you have so little concern for Stephanie's welfare? You seem unconcerned about this entire business."

"As I told you yesterday, my wife's welfare is none of your concern. Neither she, nor I have left this building since being released from the hospital. And as you can well see, it has sufficient security to ensure the safety of my wife. Now, I suggest you take your file and leave." He'd kept his tone neutral, but the possessiveness had won out in the end.

Stephanie knew Ranger was now coiled tightly and one smart remark from Joe and all hell would break loose. "Joe, if you'll remember, this was settled seven months ago. I'm not your acid reflux anymore. We're taking care of our safety and looking into my cases. As my husband told you, we'll let you know if we find anything. If you want my opinion, you'd be better off working on tracking the device, since you seem to have forgotten your promise to allow Ranger access to the lab report."

After Joe stalked out of the office, Stephanie sunk back against Ranger's chest, "Verbal sparring with him always leaves me weary to the bone."

Ranger laughed out loud. "Okay, Sweet Thing, it's time for your afternoon nap."

"Did you remember that? It's what you called me when you first met me in the diner."

Ranger smiled at the hopeful expression on her face. "I wouldn't exactly call them memories. It's just like my subconscious pulls random bits out that feel right. Now, up to the apartment with you! Bobby, Tank and Lester will all be after me in about two seconds, if you don't go and lie down for a while."

She pulled back and gave him a pout. "How about if I go over there and lay down on our couch? That way, I can rest, but if you have a question, I'll be close by."

He'd seen how fast she could fall asleep and knew she'd be out in seconds. "Babe, you know you'll be asleep as soon as you're horizontal. Wouldn't you be more comfortable upstairs in the apartment?" He panicked a little when he saw tears well up in her eyes.

Quietly, she said in a teary voice, "It's just that it's been such a good day. I'm feeling a little needy. Sorry, I'm not usually so clingy." She started to get up, but he pulled her back down and cradled her to his chest.

"Babe, of course you can lay on the couch in here if you want to. Just don't cry. I can't stand it when you cry." He kissed her softly on her lips and then stood with her still cradled in his arms. He walked over to the buttery soft couch and laid her down. For the first time, he noticed a fleece throw on the back of the couch. He took it off and spread it over her, just as Bobby came through the door with Lester and Tank in tow. He gave them all a look that silenced any objections they might have to her not going back to the apartment.

All three men filed out, and Ranger followed.

"Is she alright?" Lester couldn't stand the thought of Stephanie in pain.

"Yeah, she just didn't want to go to the apartment and be alone." With wonder in his voice, he continued, "She wanted to be with me." All three men smiled and Ranger puffed up with pride at finally doing something right with regard to Stephanie.

"Report." He had to get back to business. They each filled him in on different avenues of RangeMan business and all but Tank wandered off to take care of instructions he'd given them.

Tank told him about their newest client. "You signed their chain of jewelry stores right before going on your honeymoon. It was a brilliant achievement for RangeMan."

Ranger looked back at the door to his office. "I'm beginning to think my most brilliant achievement was in persuading my wife to marry me." Before Tank could respond, Ranger went back to where he wanted to be, his office. He watched Stephanie for a few minutes before going back to his files. He smiled at the soft breathing sounds she made in her sleep.

Several hours later, Stephanie woke up, stretched and went in search of a snack. When she came back, she sat a bottle of water and a yogurt on his desk. She came over to see what case he was researching. It was the Eddie DeChooch case. She smiled at the memory and what it led to.

She leaned in and placed her hands on his shoulders and lightly massaged his neck as she read. Ranger took one of her hands from his neck. He turned her hand over and brought her wrist to his lips, kissing her pulse point.

Stephanie went weak at the knees with the familiarity of his action. It gave her hope. Hope that he'd remember her and their love.

"Babe, what's this note I've put in here?"

She leaned in and almost choked on her apple. The note read '_Deal has been made for apprehension.'_

Ranger pulled her around and back into his lap. "Explain. Why's that so shocking? Didn't I normally help you with some of your apprehensions?"

She knew her face was scarlet, "How 'bout I tell you later? Let's say like…..never."

He saw her embarrassment and let it drop for the time being. She found it easier to talk when they were lying in bed, with the lights off. Making a quick decision, he started shutting down his computer. At the questioning look on her face, he replied, "We've done enough for one day. Let's go see what Ella has for supper." He knew her energy levels were low and to be honest, he enjoyed spending time with her in their apartment, alone and away from prying eyes.


	6. Chapter 6

*****AN: I don't own it and am not making any profit from it. WARNING – Tissues may be necessary.**

He saw her embarrassment and let it drop for the time being. She found it easier to talk when they were lying in bed, with the lights off. Making a quick decision, he started shutting down his computer. At the questioning look on her face, he replied, "We've done enough for one day. Let's go see what Ella has for supper." He knew her energy levels were low and to be honest, he enjoyed spending time with her in their apartment, alone and away from prying eyes.

"After The Darkness"

Chapter 6

"Saying Goodbye"

Ranger was just pulling out of his nightly version of erotica with Stephanie staring as the lead, when he heard crying. He sat up and looked at Stephanie. She was crying in her sleep. Well, didn't he feel like a jerk. While he went to bed with vision of sex dancing in his head, she was fighting demons. Mourning for a loss, he didn't understand. It'd been unfathomable to him that he was planning on becoming a father.

Yeah, he definitely felt like a heel. He didn't know how to comfort her, because he didn't remember wanting a baby, didn't remember making a baby. All he really remembered was locked away in his dreams and he wasn't sure how much of them were reality or wishful thinking.

He pulled Stephanie against his chest and rocked. "Shhhh….Querida. It's okay. Don't Cry. Wake up, baby."

It felt so good to be cradled in his strong arms. At first she didn't remember why she was crying in her sleep, but then it came back to her. All her fears were compounded into a crushing sea of darkness.

"Talk to me, Babe. I can't help, if I don't know what's going on."

Stephanie talked until the sun rose about her fears. She told him she was worried that he'd never remember that he loved her or that he resented her for losing the baby. She explained how she felt like such a failure over losing the baby, even though she knew it wasn't rational. But most of all, she worried that they wouldn't regain the closeness that they once shared.

"Ranger, what if all of our experiences together are what made you fall in love with me in the first place? What if it's like Jurassic Park II?" At his dumbfounded look, she remembered that Ranger wasn't used to her analogies. "You know how you go to see a movie, and you're like, 'omigod that was the best movie ever!' And then you go back to see the sequel and you're like, 'that wasn't nearly as good.' The actors weren't the same and the plot was just the same song with a different tune. Anyway, sequels aren't nearly as good as the original. That's what I'm worried about, that we'll just be a sequel."

Ranger had a look of incredulity on his face, the wonders of Stephanie Manoso's mind, puzzled him. "Babe, I'm not sure what's going to happen. I can feel something between us, have from the first moment I saw you in Lester's arms. I haven't figured it all out yet. Sure, there's attraction, in spades, Babe." He proved his point by placing her hand on his erection for a moment, before pulling it back up to place a kiss in the center of her palm. "But love? I'm not sure. I do know that I feel an emotional attachment to you. Will it be enough to sustain a marriage? Long term? Again, I don't know. What I do know is that I'm where I want to be and that I think about you continuously."

She knew it'd have to be enough for now. It had only been three days since the accident. He was remembering things, whether he wanted to admit it or not. She was just going to have to be patient.

"Babe, about the baby. I can see how much you wanted it and know you'd have done anything to protect it. I don't want to hear you say you're a failure again. There was nothing you could've done to prevent what happened. It's not your fault." When she nodded, he hugged her tight to his chest and rubbed her back.

"Babe, will you do something for me?"

When he felt her nod against his chest, he continued, "It's almost time to get up. Will you take a shower with me? I know we can't do anything, but I want to see you,..all of you." When she nodded again, he sighed with relief. He needed to see if she looked as she did in his dreams, if her skin flushed with his touch. Most of all, he needed to know if she looked as he dreamed with her arms stretched over her head. There was something about her standing in a shower, in that position that just drove at his mind.

In the shower, as Ranger washed her, he told her of his own fears. _What if he's never the same man? The man that she remembers and the man she fell in love with?_ "Never think for a minute that you're alone in your fears. I, too, have worried that our shared experiences is what built the foundation of our relationship. However, I'll tell you this, from the first moment I discovered you were legally bound to me; I felt a wave of relief and planned on keeping you. I'm too far gone to allow another man to have you."

Ranger kissed her deep as he backed her to the side of the shower, lifting her arms as he went. When he had them secured to the shower rod by his large hands, he stepped back to take his fill of her beauty. As he held her there, he watched as the emotions flashed across her face, surprise, pride, embarrassment and frustration.

"Exactly, what I thought. It wasn't just a dream. Want to explain when, where and why I found you handcuffed naked to a shower rod?" He released her arms and pulled her back into the spray as she explained. When she finished, he'd struggled with a name to put on the emotion's he was feeling, jealousy, anger, and pride. Yeah, they were all there, but something else lurked in the background. He thought it was regret.

After working half a day, Stephanie told Ranger she was going to take the rest of the day to return some of her personal phone calls in the apartment. He was hip deep in her files and he barely acknowledged her goodbye. Stephanie didn't take offense because she was used to his intense focus when he was working.

In the apartment, she started with Mary Lou. She knew she couldn't share with her best friend that her husband had amnesia, but she could talk about losing the baby. As Mary Lou comforted her, she made several suggestions as to how she could have closure. Mary Lou had lost a baby between the boys and knew it was difficult to deal with. "Stephanie, a lot of people won't understand your grief. Largely, because they haven't been through it, but also, because there wasn't a physical presence for them to see. They don't understand that the baby was very real to you. It's also hard because you don't have a body to bury and there seems to be no closure. I suggest that you and Ranger plant a tree in memorial. It will help you deal with the loss and help him understand the significance."

Stephanie felt better after the phone call and then decided she was strong enough to deal with her mother and Lula.

Ranger looked up from the file he was studying and realized, for the first time, that Stephanie wasn't in the office. He laughed; he must have really been focused on what he was doing to not notice that she was gone before now. It was just that her files were so damn unbelievable. He pushed the button on the intercom.

"Yes, sir." Cal answered with his usual professionalism. Ranger couldn't say the same for all of his employees.

"Cal, what is the location of my wife?" Whether he was ready to admit he was in love with her or not, he enjoyed knowing she was his wife. _His._

"Sir, she went to the apartment to return some phone calls. She said you were focused and probably didn't hear her. She said her mother, Mary Lou and Lula were filling up her voice-mail and she needed to take care of it before it froze her phone up again."

Ranger chuckled, "How long?"

"Sir, she's been gone about an hour."

She'd be another hour, he thought. He'd take the time to get in a work-out. Bobby had taken out his stitches this morning and said he could run and lift weights, but not spar. It'd be good enough to release some of his pent-up tension.

Ranger was just finishing his last rep of curls when Tank came into the gym. The big man came over and started a series of stretches.

"Tank, tell me what you know about mine and Stephanie's relationship. She's been telling me a lot, but sometimes, I feel like she's leaving things out."

"Three years ago, I thought you were crazy when you took on a female bounty hunter. And it wasn't like she had any skills like Jeanne Ellen. Yeah, I know, I don't like mentioning the barracuda, either. But, it wasn't long until we were all in love with Stephanie, and not like that, in a sisterly fashion. We really thought you guys had some kind of weird relationship, where you and Morelli both slept with her, but you busted that myth when you came back two years ago from your last mission."

"Why did I get out?" Ranger was somewhat nervous about the answer.

"You said that it was time, that you were getting too old to play war games and that you were ready to make a move on Stephanie. I was shocked and couldn't believe you weren't already sleeping with her."

Ranger made a face, "I think there was one time. She won't tell me, but I found a strange notation in my Eddie DeChooch file. I don't think it was pleasant for her or something."

"Ranger, man, all I know is that for two years, you tracked her every move. Then when you came back from your last mission, you went into courtship mode. You took her out three to four nights a week, but you always disguised them as friendly outings. I think you were afraid to go too fast. She'd been off with the cop, since the first of the year, and you two seemed to be getting close. Then you had to go to Boston, and then Miami to see Julie. I'm pretty sure you talked to Stephanie every day. Then the first night you were back, you got called out to pick up a bond, we were short staffed and you went alone."

"Is this when we went on the run?"

"Yeah, you had contingency plans for if you two were targets, but they all went out the window that night, except one. Operation Bombshell. She doesn't do the expected and we knew that to outsmart Sullivan, we'd need the unexpected. She did good."

"Did I speak with you about wanting to start a family?" He wasn't sure if he would confide in Tank on this subject.

"Yeah, you talked to Bobby and me both one night on stake-out. It was after she didn't get pregnant right away and you were worried about what to do. Anyway, Bobby told you that she probably just needed to get the birth control pills out of her system and to relax. He said she'd probably relax enough on your honeymoon. Looks like that was true, sorry, man, it really was something you wanted."

"Listen Tank, I know all of this is getting way personal, but I've got one more thing that's bothering me."

"Shoot."

"It's just that, I've been having dreams, erotic dreams, off the charts, phenomenal sex dreams about me and Stephanie. I'm not sure whether they're memories or just…..wishful thinking."

Tank slapped Ranger on the back, "My man, all I know is that you've been one lucky man for the past eight months. I'd say you two went at it two to three times a day."

Ranger looked at Tank like he was crazy. _Two to three times a day? _Most of the women he'd been with usually couldn't keep up with him for more than one round. Not to be cocky, but in his experience, most women found his stamina and size daunting. Then he had an uncomfortable thought. Surely, he didn't brag about his sex life with his men.

Tank saw the crease between Ranger's brows and read his worry. "Ranger, man, you two were super discreet, but……some things we didn't have to see, to know. Stephanie glows like a light bulb after she's had sex."

As Ranger tried to put all the pieces together, he made his way to the apartment for a shower. He heard Stephanie's voice on the phone and went to the bedroom to see what she was doing. He heard her make plans to go by a local nursery this afternoon to pick up a tree and he saw that her hands were busy unloading a box of clothes.

There were three boxes on the bed and one on the floor empty. They each had different shipping labels from Switzerland, Italy, France and Bora Bora_. Must be their purchases from their honeymoon_. "Can I help?"

"Sure, you take the one from France. Most of that stuff can go into storage, because it's too fancy to wear, unless we have a special night out."

Ranger opened the box and went through it, pulling out a few items that might be okay for her to wear around Trenton. Then he took the box to the door and called down to control to pick it up and take it to the storage unit on three. He went back to the bedroom and reached for the box from Bora Bora, but Stephanie stopped him.

She took two deep breaths. _She could do this, she could do this._ "Ranger, just put that box in the office. It's…uh….stuff that we bought for redecorating in there."

Ranger looked at the box as he realized what it contained. It was baby stuff. More precisely it held objects they'd found on their honeymoon with the purpose of using it to decorate the baby's room. "Can I look?"

Stephanie nodded, but then put a hand on his arm. "Just not in here. I remember well enough what we picked out. I don't need to be reminded."

He knew she was wondering if he'd ever get back to a place where he'd want to have a baby with her again. He was wondering the same thing. Before he left, he asked, "What are you picking up a tree for?"

"It was Mary Lou's idea. I'm going to plant a tree in memorial of our baby. She thought it would be a good way of finding closure. I'm going to plant it in the back yard of our house on Fairfield."

He watched her face for signs of breaking down and was relieved to see none, "I'd like to join you."

Stephanie jerked her head up and pierced him with a look of disbelief, shock and relief. She finally found her voice, "I'd love for you to come with me. Maybe, we could gather a bag and spend the night at the house. You haven't been and maybe…." She shrugged her shoulders because she didn't have to say it. They both wondered when he'd remember their life.

In the office, Rangers pulled items from the box in hopes of triggering something, anything. After looking at each item, he determined that it was useless; the memories would come when they came. One thing he did know, the kid would have had one kick ass room. They'd selected items from all of their stops and had waited to send them back in one box from the last leg of their trip.

Ranger put away the decorations and called the control room. Woody answered, "Tell me something good."

"Woody, Stephanie and I will need the truck and two back-up cars with two in each."

"On it, boss."

"Babe, I'm ready whenever you are." He was surprised to find her coming out of the bedroom with a duffle back swung over her shoulder.

"We keep a bag already packed for swinging back and forth. We also have a full set of everything at the house. We never know when we're going to be here or there. It's just more convenient."

When she'd told him they had a house, he hadn't really expected to spend any time at it. Undoubtedly they did, and she was okay with the swing by the seat of your pants lifestyle.

At the nursery, it was recommended that they plant a dogwood. It was the perfect time of year for them to be planted and they were extremely hearty trees. Stephanie noticed that Ranger was leaning towards the one that showed a pink flowering on the label. She pointed to that one and the sales woman rung up their purchase.

Their convoy headed towards their home and Stephanie wondered if any of them had planted a tree before. _Would they be there or would she be allowed her privacy?_ This was part of the package, she reminded herself. In the car in front of them, was Tank and Lester and behind them were Bobby and Zero.

Her questions were answered when each man unloaded from their vehicle. _Looked like this was going to be a shared event_. Really, she shouldn't have expected anything less. All the men were like big brothers and they wanted to be there for her in her sadness.

Stephanie watched as each man took a turn at the shovel. The ground was hard from the freezing weather they'd experienced in January. When the men had the hole dug to perfection, Ranger held out his hand for her. Together, they took the sapling and placed it in the ground. Tank added some water to the hole. When Ranger reached for the shovel to replace the earth that was removed, Stephanie shook her head.

With her hands, she started pushing dirt back into the hole. She didn't know why it was important to do it herself, but it was. All five men watch as Stephanie stoically shoved the earth back into the hole and then patted the ground until it was smooth.

Stephanie stood and looked down at the hole. She wanted to say something, but here lies baby Manoso, seemed too much.

Zero started, "I lost my brother last year in a gang war."

"My mother was taken by breast cancer four years ago," Tank discreetly wiped his eyes.

Lester spoke of losing his cousin, Bobby his dad and then Ranger spoke about losing five men in Afghanistan.

She understood what they were doing. They were letting her know she wasn't alone in her grief the only way they knew how. Quietly, she said hers aloud as they'd done. "Goodbye, baby Manoso."

Ranger pulled her against his chest and the other men faded away. She didn't know how long he stood there and held her, but it was what she needed. Later, Ranger fixed dinner while Stephanie cleaned up. The evening was quiet as they listened to jazz and drank a bottle of wine. In their bedroom, Ranger undressed Stephanie, silently asking her to sleep with him skin to skin. She answered by sliding between the sheets and then holding up the sheet for him to join her.

***AN: Sorry guys, but I'm not a tree expert, so if I got it wrong….just remember that this is just fiction and for fun.


	7. Chapter 7

****AN: Don't own it and not making any money. Hope you ladies are ready for a little happy. I know I am!!! Thanks Angie for sticking by me through this story.

Ranger pulled her against his chest and the other men faded away. She didn't know how long he stood there and held her, but it was what she needed. Later, Ranger fixed dinner while Stephanie cleaned up. The evening was quiet as they listened to jazz and drank a bottle of wine. In their bedroom, Ranger undressed Stephanie, silently asking her to sleep with him skin to skin. She answered by sliding between the sheets and then holding up the sheet for him to join her.

"After the Darkness"

Chapter 7

"Getting Some Happy"

The sun rose and Ranger couldn't believe he was still in bed. He'd discovered he didn't work on Sundays anymore. Instead, he had a full rotation of employees that took care of that and were happy to do so, since he was paying them holiday pay for their once a month contribution.

Warm skin brushed him as Stephanie moved in her sleep. Yesterday had been tough for her, and today, he wanted to do something to give her some 'happy'. Easing out of bed, he pulled on some sweats and went downstairs to fix some coffee. He really liked the arrangement of the house, but unfortunately, it hadn't triggered any memories.

Not even the stunning collage of them, which hung on the wall in front of their bed, had inspired a flicker in his brain. The picture frame held memories of their first Christmas together and it only reinforced what everybody had been telling him, he loved her. He could see it in his expressions as he'd studied each photo individually.

As he fixed coffee, inspiration struck. Picking up the phone, he called Phillip. "Ranger, man, what the hell are you doing? Please, tell me you've called to book that beautiful wife of yours the complete package again."

Ranger smiled. He must've used Phillip's place for Stephanie before. He wondered how often he booked her a spa day and reminded himself to do so next week. "No, Phil, I will one day next week. I was calling for a more specialized event. I know that you're closed on Sunday, but I was wondering if Stephanie and I could use the facilities. We need some fun and I thought your pool, sauna and whirlpool would fit the bill." Phil agreed and told Ranger to make himself at home. Since Ranger took care of Phil's security, he wouldn't need the alarm codes or a key. He'd just have one of RangeMan bring them over. After finishing his phone calls, he fixed a tray with two coffees and headed back upstairs.

Stephanie awoke to the rich smell of coffee and a warm hand on her cheek. "Morning."

"Morning, sleepy head. It's time to get up. We've got a busy day planned."

"Mmmmm. It's Sunday. We don't work on Sunday. That was in the paperwork."

Ranger gave her a quizzical look. Paperwork? Did they have Pre-Nup? What the hell? He'd play along. "And what exactly is in this paperwork?"

She almost laughed as his blank face appeared before her eyes. "Oh, you know the usual; Sunday's off, long walks on the beach and once a month get-a-ways."

Her eyes were twinkling, so he gathered she was joking.

"Relax, Ranger. It's just a standing joke between us. It started right after we got back from the cabin. One of us would say something that the other should be doing as a good wife or husband and the other would say, "I'll put it in the paperwork."

Ranger tried not to visibly relax, but he really was glad that they didn't have a pre-nup. There was something about pre-nuptial agreements that left a bad taste in his mouth. It certainly didn't say 'happy and trusting' to him. "And what were my requirements."

She was glad he was playing along. "Hmmm…..if I remember correctly, some of them were along the lines of me never wearing clothes to bed, never, ever cutting my hair and never going to bed mad at each other."

He toyed with her hair as he took a drink of coffee. "Hmm…so how have we done on the last one so far?" Obviously, he hit on an uncomfortable subject. He could definitely see them butting heads from time to time. Even though for the most part, their relationship seemed flawless, he knew his own Type I personality and could see the same tendencies in her.

"Let's just say that when we've been unable to resolve the issue, we've had really great make-up sex."

Ranger almost spilled his coffee, images of one of his dreams popped into his head of him tearing her shirt down the middle and having a go at her. In the dream, he could feel the temper and lust as he took her roughly. Afterward, he saw the cooling of their tempers. Images of tenderness filled his head as they clung to each other, saying they were sorry and that they loved each other. He shook his head. He was beginning to realize that he and Stephanie had a very special relationship.

"C'mon Babe, get dressed. I've got big plans and you're going to love them, I promise. Just throw on some comfortable clothes and don't worry about fixing your hair or make-up. It won't be important where we're going."

Always willing to go with the flow, Stephanie hopped out of bed and threw on some tap pants and a hoodie. She saw Ranger go into the closet and come back out with a packed duffle bag while she was putting on her tennis shoes. Wondering what he was up to, she tried to peek in the bag.

"Uh uh. It's a surprise."

An hour later, their caravan of trucks pulled up to the entrance of Serenity Spa. "Ranger, what are we doing here? You know they're closed on Sunday."

"Babe, they're not closed to us. I have the key. Phil said we could have the place to ourselves. Our security team is going to monitor from the outside, while you and me, get some 'happy'."

Inside, Ranger handed her the duffle bag and gently pushed her towards the dressing room. She found her bathing suit, flip flops and heaven help her, he'd packed tampons for her. Little did he know, those were no longer necessary. She went about the business of changing before heading into the pool area. Ranger was already lapping the pool. Stephanie dove into the pool and fell into a rhythm of her own.

They spent hours horsing around in the pool, dunking each other and then playing water-volleyball. The last twenty minutes, Ranger just sat back in a corner with Stephanie cradled between his legs. Both had their heads thrown back enjoying the heated water.

_Perfect timing, _he thought_. _"Tell me about the DeChooch deal."

She was so relaxed that before she thought about what she was saying, she'd spilled the whole story. He smiled at her hedging tale of the deal he'd made with her for one night of sex. His brows furrowed when she got to the part about him sending her back to Morelli. He flipped her around and pinned her to the edge of the pool.

"I'll never send you back again."

She saw the promise in his eyes and warmed at what else she saw. She was beginning to think it was the look of love he'd had for her before. Hope. It was all she had to live on now.

Ranger led her to the ladder and helped her out of the pool. He wrapped her in one of the fluffy white towels lying on the bench. "Go dry off and then come to massage room one."

In the dressing room, she stripped off her wet bathing suit and quickly decided to forego clothes. Before she could change her mind, she wrapped herself in another of the fluffy towels. She pulled her hair up into a fat, messy bun on top of her head and secured it with one of the scrunchies he'd put in the bag, then she headed off to the designated room. She found Ranger waiting for her when she arrived. The lights were low and he'd lit candles about the room. He pointed to the massage table and she hopped up, holding tight to her towel. She stretched out face down and got comfortable.

Ranger massaged oil into her shoulders and kneaded under they felt like melted butter. Then he moved to lather attention to her arms and hands. She had to bite her tongue to keep from moaning out loud when he moved to her feet. With slow circular motions, he found all her pressure points and the tensions from the past several days felt non-existent.

Ranger moved up her legs and thought about how they would feel wrapped around him. They were long, lean and still had a tinge of bronze left from their time in Bora Bora. He knew he shouldn't, but he wanted to massage her ass. As he slipped his hands inside the towel, his hands froze. She was commando. _Holy Hell_. He kneaded the soft flesh until she was panting with the need for release. Not sure, how far he should go, he removed his hands and smoothed out the towel. He told her to flip over as he repeated the sensual movements on the front of her body, avoiding the sumptuous skin under the towel.

His intention was to take her to the sauna room, but Stephanie had other ideas.

"Nuh, uh. It's your turn. I haven't had my hands on those massive muscles in several days. I'm having withdrawals."

He liked the way she always wanted to give back. Going with the flow, he stretched out face first on the massage table. By the time she was finished with his back side, he was uncomfortable with turning over to face her, because he was sporting a massive erection. She wouldn't be put off, however, so he flipped over and fought back a laugh as the towel instantly formed a tent, with his cock as the center pole.

If she'd been wearing panties, she would've ruined them when she saw how turned on he was. His pupils were dilated to black and she had to force herself to concentrate on the task at hand. When she ran her hands up his thighs, he groaned.

"Careful, Babe. I only have so much control." He groaned out loud when she moved her hands under his towel to massage his hips.

She smiled at his reaction as the towel moved in time with his pulsing erection. Before she could take it any further, Ranger sat up and took her hands in his.

"C'mon Babe, let's move this to the sauna room."

She nearly laughed when he all but dragged her to the sultry heat of the sauna room. Situating herself against the top bench, she stretched out her legs. Ranger was trying to reign in his lust, so he sat on the other side.

"Ranger, you can come over here." She said as she crooked a finger at him, knowing that she was pushing his restraint, but couldn't seem to help herself.

He'd had his head thrown back with his eyes closed, but her taunt was all he needed for him to spring into action. In two seconds flat, he had her lying flat on her back and hovering above her. "Playing with fire, Babe."

She pulled his face closer to hers, "Just because we can't build a bonfire, doesn't mean we can't roast a few marshmallows."

He groaned and took possession of her mouth. Their bodies were slick with sweat from the moist heat swirling about them. Ranger moved his hands under her ass and pressed her groin to his. He wanted her bad and knew they wouldn't be able to complete the act, but he needed to feel her response to him. She moaned and writhed beneath him as her hands slid against his slick back. Her reaction to his love-making was everything he'd dreamed about. He hadn't cum from dry hunching since he was a pre-pubescent, but he was fast approaching the point of no return.

The ding of the timer brought both of them out of their lust induced haze. Ranger pressed another kiss to her swollen lips and rested his forehead against hers. "I think we burnt the fucking marshmallows." Her husky laugh echoed off the cedar walls.

"Let's go sit in the whirlpool and relax."

"Wow, this is the full service treatment."

Ranger just smiled and helped her down from the bench.

They stripped their towels and climbed into the whirlpool. When Ranger had Stephanie positioned between his legs, he leaned his head back against one of the pillows. He let out a sigh of pent up sexual frustration. "When exactly will you be released from the doctor?"

She would've laughed out loud, if she hadn't been in as bad as shape as he. "Six more, long, long days."

_Shit_. He'd never survive six more days without burying himself between those creamy thighs. "Maybe today wasn't such a bright idea."

Her laugh was wry. "No, today was a great idea! It's the waiting that sucks." An idea formed and she decided to go with it. "C'mon Ranger, let's go take a shower. I have an idea."

He followed her to the shower, watching her cute behind sway as she walked ahead of him. Groaning, he said, "Babe, I don't think this is going to help."

Stephanie smiled at him and turned on the shower. When the temperature was warm enough, she pulled him behind her and brought his hands to her breasts. "Trust me, Ranger."

When they were both panting from running their hands over each other, she reached between them and adjusted his length between her thighs so that the tip rocked back and forth against her clit. Ranger sucked in a breath at the feel of her slickness against his rock hard erection. As she flexed her thigh muscles in time with his thrusts, a slow simmering fire settled over him. The motion was erotic and sensual as her juices coated him. He wrapped his arms around her, engulfing her in his embrace. "Steph, Babe, come with me. Now Babe, I can't hold on any longer. You feel so damn good."

His words sent her over the edge just as she felt his warm cum running down her legs.

He didn't move he couldn't. The sensations rippled through him and swamped his mind. "I don't think I've ever made love without penetration before."

Stephanie laughed at his stunned expression. "Yeah, well, stick with me and you'll have a lot of firsts."

By the time they got dressed, Ranger could see that Stephanie was physically spent. He scooped up their bag and then bent to sweep her up in his arms.

"What are you doing? I can walk, you know."

"Like you said, this is the full service treatment." She was asleep before he made it to the truck. At Lester's questioning look, Ranger smiled. His men were very protective of his woman. "She's just tired. Her energy levels are still down. I'll put her in bed when we get back to the apartment and make sure she stays there for the rest of the day. Will that make you happy, Daddy?"

Lester smiled and opened the door of the truck, never saying a word. He could see the concern on Ranger's face and knew that he'd been relinquished of his role as protector. Ranger had come full circle and now knew the importance of the bundle he carried in his arms.


	8. Chapter 8

***AN: Don't own it and not making anything from it. Thanks to each of you for your kind words and support of this story. It has definitely been an emotional journey for me. I hope that you'll drop me a line and let me know what you think. Comments and questions are always appreciated. Thanks Angie for your help with this chapter. As always…you're the greatest!!!

"Like you said, this is the full service treatment." She was asleep before he made it to the truck. At Lester's questioning look, Ranger smiled. His men were very protective of his woman. "She's just tired. Her energy levels are still down. I'll put her in bed when we get back to the apartment and make sure she stays there for the rest of the day. Will that make you happy, Daddy?"

Lester smiled and opened the door of the truck, never saying a word. He could see the concern on Ranger's face and knew that he'd been relinquished of his role as protector. Ranger had come full circle and now knew the importance of the bundle he carried in his arms.

"After The Darkness"

Chapter Eight

"Those Damn Dreams"

Nearly two weeks, nine days to be exact and nothing, not one solid indication of who'd tried to kill them. The person, who'd not only tried to take their lives, but had succeeded in taking the life of their child, and all his memories of their relationship. The fucking bastard, death would be too merciful when they finally located the person responsible for all their heartache.

Ranger thought of how he and Stephanie had scoured every stupid file they'd ever worked and nothing. The only person even remotely capable of pulling this off was in a military prison, under lock and key. Sullivan. Ranger had thought immediately of the man when he'd seen the bomb. It looked similar to his work, with a few minor detail changes. He'd made the call to first General Hatfield and then the military prison. General Hatfield had been out of the country, but the prison assured him that they had one Samuel Sullivan in residence. He rolled his shoulders. Zilch. Nothing. Nada. _Who the hell had tried to kill them? And why haven't they tried anything else? Probably, because we've been holed up in this damn building for the duration._

And then there was the whole memory loss thing…..same thing….zero. Well, that wasn't entirely true. There were those damn dreams. Oh, yeah, he dreamed in Technicolor, with visions of Stephanie riding him until his dick fell off. Thank God, she'd decided they should at least have their own nightly version of erotica. No, they still couldn't complete the deed, but Holy Mother of God, she was creative. Ranger thought of the ways in which she had pleasured him and then shown him how to pleasure her without penetration. He felt like a teenage virgin again, learning new ways to find completion without the inner haven of a woman's body. His pants tightened and his cock stood at attention at the mere thought of their intimate times together over the past couple days.

He sat back as he remembered one of his dreams. They were at what Stephanie refers to as 'their cabin', playfully wrestling on the floor. It hadn't taken long for the tickling and teasing to turn into something entirely different. Ranger couldn't believe that this dream was a reality because they were both laughing as he slid into her and continued to laugh all the way through their orgasms. This wasn't like any sex he'd ever had before. For him, sex had usually been about control and doing exactly as he pleased, a physical need being met without an emotional attachment.

For the women who were fortunate to share a sexual encounter with him, they didn't leave without being fulfilled and having their needs met. He loved the curves and softness of a woman's body. He paid attention to each and every inch of their lushness with his mouth, his lips, and his body. But now, it seemed there was only one body that interested him…Stephanie's. Women of his past had faded into faceless memories, sexual encounters not nearly as vivid as they'd been before meeting the woman, who was now his wife. The intense foreplay they'd been engaging in the past week was much more fulfilling than anything he'd experienced with other women.

Other dreams, surfaced in his mind. Several had featured more than once. He especially favored the one that seemed to come from their honeymoon. In this dream, she'd been tied to the bed, facing him. He'd seen himself going down on her while she was restrained and blindfolded. He could almost taste her sweetness as he saw himself lick and suck her from slit to clit. In the memory, he'd spent hours torturing her by bringing her close to the grand finale and then backing off. If his dreams were reality, she was a fucking sex goddess as she took everything he had to dish out and then begged for more, harder, rougher.

Shit, he thought he was going to cum just thinking about the dream. And then, holy hell, she'd let him turn her over and take her from behind, screaming in pleasure as he turned the apples of her ass rosy red with a leather crop. Fuck, he'd had every type of sex he could imagine in the past. But this….. whether real or imagined….was erotica unleashed.

He could still see himself pounding into her over and over….her, arching her back and taking everything he had to give her. In his dream, he could remember her moaning suggestions and egging him on with comments such as 'fuck me, Ranger, harder' and when he'd reached around her lithe body, pinching her clit while driving into her, demanding to know who she belonged to, she'd cried out – 'I'm yours' over and over, as they both came violently.

He certainly hoped that hadn't been just a dream. He hadn't told Stephanie about the dreams. He knew the doctor hadn't released her yet for sexual activity and he wasn't quite sure how she'd feel about him only remembering the sexual side of their relationship. Most of the time, he wished the dreams hadn't come because they were torture. However, there was one dream that he wanted to come to him over and over.

They were on a boat, drifting in the water under the pale moonlight and the dim glow of Tiki torches. She fed him fruit and cheese as they sipped champagne. With every touch or look, he could see the love shining out from her electric blue eyes. She'd stood, moved the tray of food to a bench at the back of the boat and then walked back toward him, unbuttoning the shirt that he assumed was his. As her hips swayed, his eyes were entranced by her hand as she brought it between her breasts in a caress down to her navel, then to her womanhood to fondle herself.

He saw himself penetrate her and lose himself in her velvet heat. What puzzled him was that just when he was going for the gold, he always stopped and looked down at her. His only thought was that he needed something in that moment. A connection that drew him to this woman as no other had before and made him need something more from her, a return of that feeling so that he could find completion.

He knew there'd been love – he'd seen it in his dreams, pictures and the stories that were told about their relationship. It was like watching an old movie without sound and he could feel the tender thoughts he'd had during some of their lovemaking. Most of all, he could see the love in her eyes. He wished he'd thought of making love to her in front of a mirror, so that he could see his own face and what feelings he'd had inside himself. It was beginning to not matter what the hell had come before. He was falling for her all over again.

"Ranger?"

"Hmm….Babe?"

"I'm leaving for the doctor. I'll be back around six. I already put in our order for dinner with Ella."

Ranger got up in one smooth motion and was before her in two steps, pulling her into his embrace. He couldn't help himself; he had to touch her. "Are you taking someone with you?" He asked huskily against her neck, nuzzling.

She almost rolled her eyes at his protectiveness, but controlled herself. "Yes, Hal's going. He wanted to get out of the office. He's got something rolling around inside his head and thought a change of scenery would bring it to the forefront, something about the structure of the bomb being familiar."

Ranger nodded, brushed a soft kiss across her moist lips and then backed away. He needed to touch her, but he also didn't want to pressure her until she'd been cleared from the doctor. Even though he didn't entirely know everything about their relationship, he'd been supremely warned by Tank and Lester not to fuck up something that was so important to him. So, Ranger had tried very hard to be on his best behavior.

He wasn't sure how exactly he could fuck it up, but they were both certain that he knew how. They said they had past experience to base their worries on, even if he had no memory of how close he'd come to losing Stephanie to Morelli over the years. His gut clenched at the thought of Morelli's hands on her and knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that he'd never allow another man to touch what was his. _And, by God, she was HIS_.

Over the course of the past several days, they had not only started getting closer in bed, but as a couple. He could feel himself wanting to let her in. As he grilled her each night about their life together, insight into the mind of Stephanie Manoso had come to him like a warm summer rain. She was everything he wanted in a woman, wife and partner. She didn't take his shit and gave as good as she got. She stuck to her guns when the situation warranted it. He'd seen that first hand when she refused to tell him about how he proposed.

Late at night, most of the time they'd laid spooning or facing each other, drinking in each other's presence, while she talked of what she saw as their relationship and life together. She would ask him questions about how he felt and what he thought about different things. He hoped that he answered in the same way as he had before, but knew that sometimes he didn't. That worried him.

_What if his emotional growth never reached the same place it had before and he disappointed her? Would he be able to handle it if she moved on because he couldn't make her happy?_ These questions, and more, were the result of daily headaches.

He watched as Stephanie got on the elevator with Hal. Before he could evaluate what he was doing, he took off down the stairs and was waiting when the elevator opened.

The shocked expressions on both Hal's and Stephanie's faces, were priceless. Ranger silently communicated with Hal that he wanted a moment of Stephanie's time, before leading her to an alcove beside the elevator. He pushed a button on the remote control of the security monitor and then pressed Stephanie into the wall.

"What's up, Ranger? If I don't leave soon, I'll be late."

He could tell she was excited by her heavy breathing. "Babe, are you sure you don't want me to go with you? I can juggle a few things and take the afternoon off, if you want me to." He watched as she pondered his suggestion.

"As much as I'd like you to go with me, you'd just make me nervous. And besides, you'll be bored senseless. Hal's agreed to take me to the mall and I don't want you to see what I buy. It's a surprise."

He watched her expressions to see if she was really just making excuses.

"These are reasons, Ranger, not excuses."

He laughed out loud. "When did you start reading me so well?"

She relaxed into his arms and played with the collar of his shirt. "When you started letting me in, again."

He tugged her in close for a kiss and then took her hand as he walked her to the truck. Ranger buckled her into her seat, pressed a light kiss to her forehead and leaned back making eye contact with Hal, giving him a silent warning to take care of what was his. When he had the door closed, he thumped the hood of the truck and stood back to watch as they drove away. _God, he had it bad._

Tank and Lester came to stand beside him and watch as Stephanie and Hal drive off.

"Ranger, my man, you're one lucky son-of-a-bitch. That woman loves you with all her heart."

He saw Tank nod in agreement, as he responded, _"The most precious possession that ever comes to a man in this world is a woman's heart."_

Lester threw back his head and laughed. "Well now, aren't you poetic today? I see, once again, the 'great Manoso' has fallen under the spell of one Stephanie Plum."

"Manoso. Her name's Stephanie Manoso. And yes, I think I have."

Both men smiled widely as Ranger took the stairs back to the fifth floor.

Stephanie smiled all the way to her doctor's appointment. Ranger was being so sweet. She could see how he watched her for signs of being unhappy or uncomfortable. She thought she saw signs of him falling in love with her. She hoped that it wasn't just wishful thinking on her part.

In the doctor's office, she flipped through a magazine, avoiding the baby issues. There was a moment when she got up to go back to the lab when she felt someone's gaze upon her. She surveyed the waiting room and then out the large bay window. Nothing. Her Spidey senses were waging a war on her skin, but she couldn't find anything that would warrant her unease. She gave Hal a look and hoped he interpreted it correctly.

The nurse called her back and took the required vial of blood from her arm. Stephanie was then shown her room, where she waited for what seemed like hours. Her regular doctor came through the doors in a rush and a detailed description of why she was running behind. Delivery. Stephanie's stomach rolled with nausea. Thinking of someone delivering a healthy, bouncing baby wasn't on her list of things to do today. Dr. Woodruff patted her leg and went into her basic spiel about miscarrying. It wasn't what she wanted to hear.

All she really wanted to hear was that she would be able to get pregnant again and that she could resume sexual activity.

"Stephanie, it's normal to have feelings of depression after losing a baby. Do you have anyone to talk to that understands?"

Having a female doctor had been a good choice. Dr. Woodruff had honed in on her underlying sadness immediately. "I've talked with my husband, but he doesn't fully understand. My best friend and I talked and she suggested that I plant a tree. My husband, some friends and I planted one in our backyard. It helped some."  
"Good. Now, everything looks fine. You should be back on your regular cycle in a few weeks. Since you were only a few weeks along, I don't see why you can't immediately start trying to conceive again, if that's what you wish."

As Hal drove them to the mall, Stephanie was lost in thought over what the doctor said. No, this wasn't the time to be thinking about getting pregnant again. As much as she wanted to, Ranger wasn't ready. _What if he was never ready? Would she be able to go on about life, knowing that they would never be on the same page again?_ She didn't think he'd let her go easily, however, if he never fully regained his memory, _where did that leave them?_ The questions left her a little uneasy.

Thank goodness, Hal decided to wait outside of Victoria Secrets. She needed a few new bras and was hoping to find something sexy for tonight. With her purchases swinging from the crook of her arm, she and Hal made their way back to the truck. She could tell that Hal was in deep thought and decided it was best not to disturb the process. However, when they neared the truck, she got the distinct impression that she was being watched. The cold chills that ran her spine were a dead give-a-way.

"Hal, could you please make sure you check the truck for…anything suspicious?" She was probably just over-reacting. Probably. Hal was very thorough, even checking under the hood and crawling on the floor to inspect the undercarriage.

"Nothing, Steph. Do you want me to call into RangeMan and request another vehicle."

She waved him away because her Spidey enses had stopped tingling. "No, Hal. I trust that you've cleared the truck. I was just feeling a little uneasy, that's all." Still, she couldn't help but hold her breath as they made their way towards RangeMan.


	9. Chapter 9

****AN: Thank you to all the readers who have read and commented on this story. It has been a blast to read and I thank all of you who have stuck with the story. As usual, I don't own these characters and am not making any money off of them. I'm just enjoying playing with them.

_Previously, in chapter 8._

_She waved him away because her Spidey enses had stopped tingling. "No, Hal. I trust that you've cleared the truck. I was just feeling a little uneasy, that's all." Still, she couldn't help but hold her breath as they made their way towards RangeMan_

"After the Darkness"

Chapter Nine

"Spidey Sense?"

After getting over her anxiety of getting in the truck, Stephanie couldn't wait to get home. She was dancing in her seat as Hal drove her back to RangeMan. She knew Ranger was being very cautious with her since she wasn't released from the doctor yet. He was unsure about the sex issue between them. He probably wasn't sure if it was okay to request sex from his wife when he didn't remember her. However, she'd heard him mumbling her name in his sleep and knew that he was on the verge of remembering.

For her, she didn't give a damn if he ever remembered everything, as long as they remained together. She was determined to keep her man and she was going to pull out every trick in the book, even if that included gyrating to salsa music while stripping.

Lester was the one who'd actually given her the idea of making him fall in love with her again. They'd been chatting in the gym while Ranger had a meeting one morning and she'd been lamenting about Ranger still not remembering anything. In a panic, she'd asked, "What if he doesn't ever remember that he loves me?"

Lester had replied evenly, "Make him fall in love with you all over again. Listen, Beautiful, there are several things I know. One is that Ranger won't leave a responsibility lightly. The second is that he fell for you immediately when you met three years ago and it was a hard fall. And the last is that, whether he knows it or not, he's already half in love with you now. I've seen the signs once – they're unmistakable again. He watches you all the time and has to be near you. He's constantly reaching out to touch you in some way and he's jealous as hell. Trust me on this one. One of the first things he wanted to know from me was whether or not I had a thing for you."

The talk with Lester had left her feeling optimistic and she'd started right away with her plan. Basically, she'd just done what she'd done before. Acted naturally. It was always the little things that Ranger had liked before. He'd always been one to enjoy physical contact, so every opportunity she got, she'd run her hands down his arms or when she walked by she'd caress his shoulders and kiss him behind his ear. She could feel the vibrations on his skin from her touch, and knew he enjoyed the simple act of affection. Then late at night, she'd lay facing him in the bed and talk about everything she could that was special to them. She could see it in his eyes, the change from desire to love. All she had to do now was be patient, and of course, seduce her husband.

As she started to jump out of the truck and run for the elevator, she heard Hal say lightheartedly, "Go get 'em, Tiger"

She waved at him and turned to enter the elevator when she ran smack into the arms of her husband. Impulsively, and without thought, she reached up and kissed him full on the mouth. Ranger was quick in spinning her around, pressing her into the wall of the elevator and scrambling the feed of the security camera in one smooth motion.

With his body pressed into her, he asked, "Good news?"

Her eyes sparkled, "Yep. I've been released from the doctor. Fit as a fiddle." She was trying not to be too obvious about what that news entailed, or show her excitement of finally getting laid by her husband. "Where are you off to?"

"To inspect a client's security cameras and then the bonds office. Connie just called and said she had several skips for me. Want to go out to dinner tonight, instead of eating on 7?" He wasn't sure why he'd asked her that, but a date sounded like the right thing to do before what he had planned for tonight.

His suggestion played right into what she had planned for the evening. He was going to have the sexual experience of his life and would soon be in love with her again. They'd been working on the closeness they shared before and now she was going to get their intimate relationship a jump start. Then, her life would be back on track, she just knew it in her heart. Slow down girl…..one step at a time. Seduce him first!

"Sounds good, have you told Ella or do you want me to?"

"You can. I'm on my way out."

The elevator opened to the apartment and Ranger ushered her over the threshold and stood in the way of the door. Then looking into her eyes with an equal amount of lust and warmth, he brought her in for a slow seductive kiss. He'd only meant to give her a light brush of his lips. A simple warm kiss, like they'd shared a hundred times over the past two weeks. Those kisses had been about experimenting with each other's comfort level. But, it seemed his lips had a mind of their own. Her lips had parted in invitation and he'd dove for the opportunity.

When she pulled back, regained her breathe, she asked, "Do you think you could pick me up at our house? The dress I want to wear is there and I thought I would go home and use our whirlpool tub then get ready there." She knew she was rambling, but she didn't know how to stop the words from flowing out of her mouth. She was excited. Ranger wanted to go out on a date, with her!

Before, they hadn't really gone out on any real dates. They'd just started going out. He'd wait until the last RangeMan had faded away and then say, 'Want to grab a bite to eat?" At the time, she hadn't thought much about it. But then, when he started calling her just to talk, that's when she realized that he was pursuing her, 'in his own way'. She remembered the day it'd dawned on her that he wasn't merely spending time with her for companionship.

It was the day he'd left for Boston. Joe had gone on assignment and just as she was listening to a voicemail from him, Ranger came in. She could tell that he thought, from the voicemail, that Joe and she were still an item. She also saw the flicker of irritation and regret. Ranger didn't distance himself from her, but instead continued to call her regularly while he was gone to Boston. She felt sure that when he returned, he was going to start pursuing her for real. Of course, the whole Sullivan thing happened, and one thing led to another, and then, they were married.

Ranger wasn't sure where she'd just gone in her mind, but was sure it had something to do with him. She had that look of tenderness she got when she remembered something about them and their life together. He gave her a nod and then let the elevator door shut. They both watched each other until it slid into place.

When Ranger got to the garage, Hal was still standing by the truck, waiting for him. "What's up?'

Hal stood at attention, he couldn't help himself. Ranger had been his CO and he'd never been able to brush off the military training. "Sir, while we were out, Stephanie got one of her feelings, twice. You know, what she calls her 'spidey sense'. Anyway, the first was at the doctor's office, and then again, before we got in the truck. I checked both times and found nothing out of the ordinary. However, I think that maybe she was right and somebody was following us. I didn't see anybody; it's more a feeling than anything concrete."

Ranger nodded. He wasn't sure what the 'spidey sense' thing was all about, he'd have to ask Tank. However, from what he'd seen from his reports, Stephanie had an uncanny ability to notice things that others didn't. "Have Lester come down and dust the truck for prints. Maybe, whoever was watching slipped up and touched the truck. Also, let Woody know that we'll be going out tonight and need an escort. I want two and two again. I'm taking Stephanie out to dinner and I don't want any complications." He saw Tank coming his way. He started to dismiss Hal, but then remembered something Stephanie had said earlier.

"Steph said you had something bothering you about the bomb. Did your trip out of the office trigger what that is?"

"No. I don't know what it is that's bothering me, exactly. The only thing I know for sure is that I've seen this type of device before. If we didn't know for sure that Sullivan was behind bars, I'd say that it was his." Hal hated feeling unsure, but knew that this was exactly the type of bomb Sullivan would build.

Rangers studied the man for a minute, "Then let's follow the only thing we have. Pack a bag and tell Bobby to do the same. You guys are going to Fort Carson, Colorado to pay Sullivan a visit. I want the two of you personally laying eyes on him. If he's truly there, then maybe he had more than one accomplice when he was tracking Stephanie and me before."

Hal gave the affirmative nod and then asked, "Will this change your plans for tonight? I know Steph was sure looking forward to tonight." Hal blushed; he hadn't meant to ask and certainly hadn't meant it to sound like he knew more than he did.

Ranger gave him a steady look, wondering what Stephanie had said to him. The look on Hal's face told him that his man hadn't meant to be intrusive. "No. I'm still taking my wife out to dinner and then we're going to our home. I'm going to want to increase the security though and nobody is to know where we're going but the men I choose. Understood?"

Hal left and Ranger nodded for Tank to follow. Once they were in the truck, Tank gave him a look that said, "Spill."

"What the hell is a spidey sense?" Ranger couldn't believe he was actually asking such a ridiculous thing.

Tank grinned, "Ranger, man, it's something to truly behold. She gets these tingles down her spine, call it intuition, spidey sense or whatever, but it's never wrong. This one time, she knew there was something going down at this ice cream parlor. Sure enough, the dead bodies were too many to count. Anyway, before she gave up bounty hunting, we'd all worked with her some to hone her skills, but some things you just can't train. We've all learned to trust her instincts."

Something about his statement bothered Ranger. "Why'd she quit bounty hunting?"

Tank gave him a weird look. "Well, I'm assuming, because you guys were trying to have a baby."

_Oh, yeah, right. Baby plans_. At first, the whole baby thing was bizarre to him. Now, though, the more he discovered about her, the more he could see him planning that very thing. He'd come to realize that if he was honest with himself, the idea didn't entirely freak him out any more. In fact, his groin tightened at the thought of her belly round with his child. The more he learned, the more he could understand, how he'd fallen for her in the first place.

_Who was he kidding? He was head over heels in love with her now._ Tonight, he planned on telling her. He couldn't ever remember saying the words and meaning them but that had all changed. With three years missing from his life, it felt as if the change had occurred in a blink of an eye. Somehow, though, what he'd thought at first had taken him two years to realize had happened in just two short weeks. He had to wonder if it had been the same before and why he'd waited two years to act on those feelings. _Oh, yeah, right. Morelli._ How had the bastard gotten there before him? The answer to that question was obvious. He'd been too chicken shit. _Hah, the 'great Manoso' was scared of a woman._

She wasn't just any woman, though. She was, and is, his everything. Tonight, he planned on, not only showing her, but telling her. A shadow passed over his thoughts and disgust filled his senses. What if he'd never shown her all of his personality? What if the dreams he was having about her were all just fantasy and she didn't know about his more carnal nature? Hell, what if he didn't make love to her in the same way? It would just be his luck if she went screaming for the hills when she caught sight of the beast that lurked inside him.

Hot blinding light sliced through his skull and his brain flooded with a vivid image. Stephanie was dressed in his robe and he had the collar bunched up in his hands as he pressed her against the wall. The words of their conversation echoed in his brain.

"_And let's take a look at your life. You have a deep dark secret."_

"_Let it go," _

"_Are you sick?"_

"_No, I'm not sick. Not physically, anyway. I'm not so sure sometimes about the mental, emotional, and sexual."_

As the truck rolled to a stop, Ranger got out and stood a little too quickly. He staggered back until his butt rested against the truck. Beads of sweat popped up on his forehead. When he finally got himself under control, he realized that he'd had his first real memory of them together.

He frowned at the strange circumstances. She was in his apartment wearing his robe. Had they just had sex? No, that didn't feel right. What he did know is that he saw fear in her eyes at his revelation. How had they overcome such an obstacle? One thing was for certain; she seemed to know about his mental, err sexual tendencies, and had married him anyway. He smiled genuinely for the first time since he'd come out of the darkness. _She knew….and loved him anyway._


	10. Chapter 10

****AN: I don't own it and not making any money from it. This chapter is rated M for mature. If smut offends thee, then don't read this chapter. Thanks Angie for your suggestions and tireless support. Without your edits, whew, this would be mumbo jumbo! Hope you enjoy reading chapter ten!

He frowned at the strange circumstances. She was in his apartment wearing his robe. Had they just had sex? No, that didn't feel right. What he did know is that he saw fear in her eyes at his revelation. How had they overcome such an obstacle? One thing was for certain; she seemed to know about his mental, err sexual tendencies, and had married him anyway. He smiled genuinely for the first time since he'd come out of the darkness. _She knew….and loved him anyway._

"After The Darkness"

Chapter Ten

"Home"

She ran around the apartment, gathering everything she'd need to get ready for tonight. She pulled out a cosmetic bag and stuffed it to the brim with her make-up and other personal items. Then, she went into the bedroom to retrieve the lingerie she'd worn on their wedding night. She was pulling out all the stops in her plan to help trigger Ranger's memories. Her plan was to wear the same dress and lingerie, hoping that something would give in his mind and allow the memories to return.

Thanking the stars that she'd just visited Mr. Alexander and had her hair and eyebrows done, she gathered her belongings and called down to control for a ride to their house. There wasn't any need in her driving herself, plus, Ranger would feel better if she had an escort.

Once Zero had dropped her off at their home, she went to the bathroom and started the water in the Jacuzzi tub. As she luxuriated in the deep tub filled with bubbles, she thought about tonight and finally getting to make love with her husband again after two long, long weeks. Speaking of long, long things…her husband's excellent body came to mind and she spent some time fantasizing about the night ahead of them.

At exactly six sharp, Stephanie bounded down the stairs to the sound of Ranger opening the door to their home. He stepped in through the door just as she pulled on her wrap and gathered her purse. She sucked in a breath at the sight of him dressed in the suit she'd laid out for him on the bed of the apartment. He looked just as breathtaking as he had on their wedding night. She noticed that Ranger stood stock still as he took in her appearance.

Ranger had to take a deep breath as an image filled his brain. _He was slowly sliding her dress off her shoulders,exposing the delicate white lingerie that lay beneath as it shimmered on his wife's body_. He smiled as the memory washed over him like a cool breeze on a hot August night. As she walked towards him, he took her hand to his mouth and pressed a kiss to the soft skin of her hand.

"Beautiful, Babe." He swallowed the lump in his throat, trying to tamp down on the instinct to lay her on the floor and take her fast and hard.

She smoothed the tie at his neck and stepped into his embrace. "Let's go before I attack you right here and we miss dinner. You'll want me fed properly before we make love. I'm a tad grumpy on an empty stomach." His shocked expression was priceless, but he recovered quickly, wrapping an arm around her waist and leading her to the car after locking up and resetting the house alarm.

As Ranger helped her into the car, he nearly changed his mind about going out when he caught sight of her thigh highs peeking out from under her dress as she slid her legs into the car. Making his way to his side of the car, he tried to remember the sexy leg attire from before, but decided she must be wearing them because of the cooler weather. He knew he'd remember sliding the delicate material down her legs as he kissed every inch of the skin beneath. Shaking his head and tamping down again on his desire, he got in the car and drove to the restaurant while he wrestled with his zone.

They spent dinner with sultry looks and small talk as they held hands and Stephanie ran her stocking clad foot up the inside seam of his pants leg. When her foot connected with his groin, he nearly jumped out of his skin. He grabbed the foot and tortured the arch, making her moan nearly as much as the decadent dessert she slowly slid into her mouth.

The DJ announced a slow song 'for all the lover's' and Ranger led Stephanie to the dance floor just as the first notes of 'At Last' wafted over the room. Stephanie was enveloped in Ranger's warm embrace as she rested her cheek against his chest. Ranger seemed lost in the music and quite frankly…her, as he led them around the dance floor.

With their bodies molded to each other, they drifted through song after song, both lost is the feel of each other. It wasn't until a clumsy couple bumped into them that Ranger even remembered where they were.

She felt him stiffen and knew what he was thinking. He immediately went into 'Ranger' mode as he shielded her from the invasion. She squeezed his arm, bringing his attention to her face. "It's okay. There are three Rangemen watching our back from various places inside the restaurant, one at each entrance and Woody's with the fleet of vehicles we brought with us. It's okay to lose ourselves for a little while." Even as she said it, she knew that the magic had lost some of its appeal to him.

"Come on, let's go home." She held his hand as they made their way back to the table and she retrieved her purse as Ranger laid some bills on the table.

It didn't take long for them to arrive at their house. Neither said a word as they entered the foyer and walked up the stairs to their bedroom.

Ranger pulled her back against his chest, that's when she noticed the tremors that passed through his body. "Ranger?" she inquired, puzzled by his reaction to arriving in their bedroom.

She felt his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed hard several times. "What's wrong?" Panic flooded her senses as she realized something wasn't right with her husband.

Finally, he cleared his throat and pressed his mouth close to her ear. "I…..don't know if I can be gentle with you. Babe, I've got two week's worth of erotic dreams swirling around in my brain and I'm not sure what's reality and what's just my active imagination. I'm terrified that I'm going to hurt you with all this pent up desire that I have for you."

By the end of his tormented speech, his fingers were digging into her shoulders as he breathed in her scent. Her throat was dry and her own arousal penetrated the air.

He almost didn't hear her words, they were spoken so quietly.

"I've seen the beast and I'm not afraid of it, but desire it."

Ranger groaned at the words that gave him permission to unleash his desire for her lithe body. In a blink, he'd unzipped her dress and it slithered down her body, revealing the vision of white he'd remembered before. Speech left him temporarily as the animal inside him roared to life, snarling to be let loose.

"Take it off. Take it off before I rip it to shreds. I know it's special and I don't want to ruin it." He demanded with his fists balled at his sides as she took her sweet time shimmying out of the delicate concoction. _Damn it, she knew she was baiting the beast._ When she started to remove the hose, he stopped her and told her to leave them as he pulled her roughly against his now bare chest.

She felt a growl rumble through his chest as he started to speak.

"I don't know anything about how I make love to you."

His breath was labored as he brought his hands up and roughly cupped her breasts. "Have I taken you like this, quierda?" He emphasized his point by pressing her breast together as he ground his erection against the crevice of her ass. He was encouraged when she let out a moan of delight and nodded her head at his question.

He brought a hand up to stroke her soft lips with his thumb. "At least your warm mouth isn't just a lost memory. I already know how expertly you can use that delicious tongue of yours."

He moved both hands to cup her womanhood, stroking her cleft with both thumbs simultaneously. Before she could get used to that feeling, he was running his hands up her torso, brushing her erect nipples on his journey over her body. He squeezed her shoulders and then continued down her back leaving a hot trail down her spine.

One arm snaked around to her stomach and he pulled her tight as his other hand went to her ass. He cupped one round cheek before proceeding between her legs. A finger skimmed her clit and then her slick center as he made his way to her star shaped hole. Her legs almost gave way as he laid the length of his finger there and pressed.

"Do you let me take you here? Or is that forbidden? I have to know, in what ways do you allow me entrance into your body?"

Her voice quivered a bit as she spoke, "Nothing is forbidden between us. I let you take me in anyway that you desire. I'm yours and you're mine."

He growled low in his throat as he scooped her up and tossed her on the bed. She watched with hungry eyes and he stripped his belt from his trousers and had a thought of how he might use it later. Wetness pooled between her legs as he quickly divested himself of the last of his clothing. His erection was painfully hard and throbbing as he stalked towards her.

When his control snapped, it seemed as if he was everywhere at once. His mouth and hands trailed a hot path over every inch of her body. There mating was hot and feral with neither of them able to control their desires.

Ranger knew he was brutal in his assault of her body, but couldn't seem to stop or care as he nipped her tender flesh with his mouth and memorized every path with his hands. He couldn't get enough of her as her arousal flared in his nostrils. He rammed her with two fingers and pressed hard against her clit, causing her to coat his fingers with her juices. Grinding against her thigh, he sucked a taunt nipple into his mouth and drew on the hard pebble. Her reactions and moaning only further increased the madness as he slicked his fingers towards her other entrance.

When she gave no resistance, he slipped in a finger to the knuckle as he buried two fingers in her pussy. She bucked and he was encouraged as he finger fucked her ass and pussy. He worked her into a frenzy and barely heard her scream his name as she came hard and fast. The pounding of his blood through his veins was like the roar of a waterfall and no sound could break through.

She thought he'd give her time now to settle before he began his second assault, but she was wrong. Her throbbing clit nearly revolted when Ranger took it between his teeth and sucked. She came almost immediately, liquid heat flowing from her and into his mouth. He milked every ounce of the nectar before pulling back and immediately filling her with his hard throbbing cock. It was as if he was possessed, never uttering a word, but showing her through his actions that he was worshipping her.

As he moved them from position to position, Stephanie had the thought that he was trying out every position in the hope of remembering. He sat back on his haunches and pulled her roughly to his chest before slamming her back down on his shaft. Both groaned and panted as he grasped her hips and pulled her up to only slam her back down over and over. Ranger moved one arm to her back and used the other to press between her breasts. She arched back like a bow pulled taunt and he began his rhythmic movement again as he supported her body in this position.

When she felt him tensing, he pulled her back up crushing her to his body as he jerked in release. The tightening of his body and his muttering of Spanish triggered her own release and she came with a violence that only he could inspire. He collapsed on top of her panting from his orgasm.

He'd grown soft while they both recovered from the shuddering of their bodies. She stroked her hands through his hair and down his body while she regained her breath. Just as she started to doze a bit, she heard him say, "Again" and he repeated the whole process over another time.

After he screwed her senseless the second time, she lay sprawled on her stomach dozing as he stroked down her back, then her legs. She felt his hard cock brush her thigh as he moved behind her to continue his perusal of her body. It was like he was in his zone trying to absorb her very essence. He stretched his body over hers from behind. She was liquid and felt as if she had no bones left as he laid his entire length over hers. Ranger pumped against her until she felt his hard length prodding against her entrance.

She opened for him as he slipped back inside her and she thought she heard him whisper, "Inicio" as he entered her. He lay entirely on top of her, their bodies touching in one long line. He barely moved as he pressed open mouth kisses against her shoulder. His hands stroked down her arms until he reached her hands and then entwined their fingers. His voice was ragged, but she caught snippets of his words as he told her how beautiful she was and how much he desired her.

This time when they came, it was like silk sliding to the floor with a whisper. Both were breathless and lost in a world of pleasure and comfort. It was nearly midnight and Ranger pulled her so that she was cocooned against his chest, still neither spoke. Words couldn't cover the emotions that either was feeling as they renewed the final aspect of their marriage.

Several hours later, Stephanie awoke to Ranger pulling her on top of him as he prepared to enter her again. When he thrust upward into her, she gave out a cry that was a mixture of pleasure and pain. They moved as one as she tumbled over the first orgasm. From all the activity, she was tight and sore. He seemed to sense this as he moved slowly, stroking her back and holding her tight against his body. He brought his hands up and fondled her nipple, bringing forth a gush of wetness, loosening the resistance of her tight pussy.

His strokes were even, slow and mesmerizing. She laid her head against his shoulder and pressed kisses to his collar bone. He seemed to be in no hurry as he slowly brought her to completion. It was only then that he quickened his pace and finished them both off. When she went to move off of him, he held her tight.

"Just sleep, quierda. I want to hold you while you sleep."

Exhaustion crept into the edges of her brain and she let herself drift off into the oblivion of darkness.

He felt her relax and knew that she was already asleep. He had wanted to tell her, meant to tell her everything that was swirling through his mind. But his mind was so overwhelmed and the exhaustion from the emotional torrent took him into the darkness of sleep.

Translation: Inicio – Home.


	11. Chapter 11

*****AN: Standard Disclaimer applies. Just having fun. Thanks Angie for all your help. Sorry, this chapter is short, but my muse was in control and decided that this is where this chapter ended.

_Exhaustion crept into the edges of her brain and she let herself drift off into the oblivion of darkness._

_He felt her relax and knew that she was already asleep. He had wanted to tell her, meant to tell her everything that was swirling through his mind. But his mind was so overwhelmed and the exhaustion from the emotional torrent took him into the darkness of sleep._

"After the Darkness"

Chapter Eleven

"Time Out"

Nature was calling. She looked at the clock and read the digits, uggh, four thirty in the morning. Ranger let out minimal protest as she rolled out of the bed and away from him. Once she got in the bathroom, she decided to go for the full treatment and take a shower. She was awake and didn't think she'd be able to go back to sleep now. There were too many thoughts swirling around in her brain.

The night had been beautiful and romantic. Their lovemaking had been, well, hot. But now, in the light of day, she was having a few realizations. He'd never said he loved her. Did he? She didn't think he was quite there and that saddened her heart.

Stephanie climbed out of the shower and tried to blanket the bundle of nerves that had seemed to overtake her mind. It was Valentine's Day, a day made for love and lovers. She'd made plans, but now knew that they'd have to be changed. Quietly, she moved about the bedroom, finding a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt lying on the floor, she pulled them on. Ranger never stirred and he seemed to be sleeping more peacefully than he had since that fateful night, when they'd both been plummeted into the darkness.

She paused at the doorway and took another look at her husband. She loved him to distraction and she blew a kiss towards him before turning to leave. Downstairs, she retrieved one of the two bags she'd stored in the coat closet. Lester had helped her plan the getaway last week and now she knew she'd been delusional to think after one night of lovemaking that Ranger would suddenly remember everything and profess his undying love so they could fall back into the happiness they'd been in before that fateful night outside Walgreens.

She sent Simon a text, stating that she was still coming. Even though she'd been shy at first about using her weight as Ranger's wife, Lester had convinced her that it was perfectly alright for her to use the company plane since she was a shareholder now. In the several months that she'd been married to Ranger, she had gone from having next to nothing to having the world at her feet. She'd used her bond money from Sullivan to invest and invest heavily. It had paid off and she was now financially comfortable in her own right. When she made a killing in the stock market, Ranger had convinced her to buy into RangeMan, so she was a partner and not just an employee. The investment helped in making her feel that they were on equal footing and relieve some of the guilt about using the company plane.

Running on auto-pilot, she wrote Ranger a letter, placed it on the kitchen counter, and left the house before she changed her mind. It wasn't until she had boarded the plane and assured Simon that everything was okay, that Ranger had just gotten tied up, before she let herself think about what she was doing. She was worried about pressuring Ranger and by giving him some time alone that maybe it would relieve some of the stress then allow his mind to relax, break free of the darkness covering his memories. She also needed a time out. She was horribly afraid that he'd never remember and that their love would be lost forever.

Even if he was in love with her, despite the amnesia, she knew she had to make this trip alone. She was going back to the cabin so that she could reconcile herself with living a life without their shared memories and being happy with just what they shared since the night the darkness seized his mind. She wanted to remember, one last time, what was, before she could go on to the what 'will be'. Exhaustion crept in, she moved to the couch and slept as the plane moved seamlessly through the sky.

_He saw himself pounding into her ripe pussy as she screamed, 'Fuck me Ranger, fuck me." The feelings were overwhelming and h__e blinked his eyes and looked down at her, as if seeing her for the first time. His voice was strangled, rich with emotion, "Marry me. This is as close to heaven as we're ever going to get on earth. I love you more than life itself. Please, marry me and share it with me, forever."_

_With a strangled cry, she responded, "Yes." As the tears, rolled down her cheeks, he eased back inside her, leaning down to kiss them away._

_This time, his strokes were slow and steady as he caressed her face. Their eyes locked on each other, brimming with love. He leaned down and took her in a deep, lingering kiss as he increased his rhythm. They could both feel the gradual building of their orgasms. With their tongues entwined, they exploded together. _

_Ranger pulled out, wrapped his arms under her ass and rested his head between her breasts. "I love you, Stephanie."_

_Her hand sifted through his hair as the emotion, so near the surface, streamed down her face. "I love you, Ranger."_

Ranger smiled as he awoke from the dream. He'd remembered how he'd proposed to her and it felt great, finally a concrete memory of their past. He thought of the night before and frowned. He hadn't told her he loved her. He'd felt it and had meant to tell her, but every touch, every smell had brought forth a new fragment of his memory. It had almost been like he'd had a movie playing in his head the whole time he was making love to her, missing pieces of the puzzle falling into place with each moment.

He hadn't wanted the invasion of memories to stop, so every time he reached for her, he'd been too overwhelmed and couldn't speak the words that he knew she longed to hear. He'd fallen in love with her, twice, and miracle of miracles he now knew how much she truly loved him.

He made his way to the bathroom to shower and then go in search of his wife. He smiled as he thought about his wife. Yeah, she was something else. Erotic, sweet, determined and fierce, all those and many more adjectives came to mind as he thought of beautiful woman, who was his partner for the rest of their lives. The bits and pieces of his memory were coming back and he felt sure that eventually, he'd have them all. But the one that was the most important had come to him and he took a moment to be thankful because he knew out of all his memories, the proposal was very meaningful to her.

As he dressed, it occurred to him that he didn't hear noises of her moving around through the house. He shrugged and decided that she'd either gone out for breakfast or was outside. Walking through the house, a sense of dread came over him. The panic became more urgent as he felt her presence missing from their home. It was then that he saw the note lying on the kitchen counter.

He knew that the letter didn't contain good news.

_Ranger, My Love,_

_Please don't misconstrue this letter. I'm not leaving you. I just needed some time away. I'm worried that I'm pressuring you to remember and by doing this it's hindering your recovery. I also need a 'time out'. The past several weeks have been grueling, in more ways than one. You've been great, even with your memory loss, you've been patient and kind to me. However, I need a few days to reconcile myself with the idea that you may never get your memory back._

_I love you with all of my heart and want you to know that I will come back to you and we will work together towards whatever future you want with me. If you never fall in love with me again, then I will live with those repercussions. Last night was beautiful and magical, just as it always is with us. Please, take these few days and analyze what kind of future you see for us. We'll talk when I return._

_Don't worry, I'm safe. I just needed to go back to the beginning and say a few goodbyes. I love you._

_Babe_

Ranger flipped his phone open and hit speed dial two. At Tank's answer, he said, "Tank, my wife's gone rabbit."

"What the hell did you do?"

Ranger sighed. How come they immediately blame him when something's wrong with Stephanie? Probably, they've had experience with him mangling their relationship.

"Nothing. It's probably more what I didn't do." He rubbed a weary hand over his face as Tank asked what that meant.

"Tank, I started having memories last night….during, well, you know. Anyway, I was so caught up in them that I never told her. I never told her that I loved her." He nearly rolled his eyes when Tank let out a few curses about his stupidity. Yeah, he knew now that he'd been stupid to not share what was going on in his brain. But at the time, the morning had seemed soon enough.

"She left a note. She mentioned going back to the beginning. Meet me at the diner in ten minutes with Woody, Lester and Bobby." He snapped his phone shut and headed towards the garage. He was going to find his wife today and tell her he loved her. It was Valentine's Day and he wanted to spend it with his love. She held his heart, and right now, she had a death grip on it.


	12. Chapter 12

****AN: Standard Disclaimer – Don't own it and not making any money. My greatest thanks to my Beta, Angie who is always there to red mark all my horrendous errors. Thanks girl – without your eyes, this would be crap. Thanks to all the readers who have kept up with this story and have taken the time and effort to send me such great reviews and support.

"_She left a note. She mentioned going back to the beginning. Meet me at the diner in ten minutes with Woody, Lester and Bobby." He snapped his phone shut and headed towards the garage. He was going to find his wife today and tell her he loved her. It was Valentine's Day and he wanted to spend it with his love. She held his heart, and right now, she had a death grip on it._

"After the Darkness"

Chapter Twelve

"Running Around in Circles"

Ranger stepped out of the Bronco and saw that his men were already there. He knew that this was the first place that he'd met Stephanie. For him, that meant this was where it all began. He'd had Woody pull up her GPS unit, and nothing. He couldn't imagine that she'd disabled the unitknowing that they had somebody after them. Maybe it had malfunctioned and that was why they couldn't get a bead on the location of her car.

When he stepped into the diner, he waved off the waitress. He hadn't eaten anything, and knew that his stomach wouldn't be able to handle anything. Not knowing the whereabouts of his Babe was doing a number on his stomach. And that didn't even begin to touch how his heart was feeling. It felt as if he'd been given a double shot from a defibrillator.

He slid into the booth, where they'd first met, noticing that Lester was missing. "Where's Lester?"

Tank spoke, "He just got off a double. I imagine he's turned off his phone and is down for the count for at least for the next eight hours."

Ranger sighed, just great, he thought. If anybody knew where his Babe was, it was probably Lester. Those two were thick as thieves. He wanted to begrudge the relationship, but was relieved that Stephanie had someone like Lester to look out for her. He'd thought, maybe, just maybe, she'd be here. Stupid, he thought now. _What about her old apartment?_ That was where he first found her locked to the shower rod and where they'd first been intimate together.

"Let's roll. Woody and I are going to check out her old apartment. I want you to go over to Lester's and get his ass up. Find out if he has any clue as to where my wife has gone. Woody and I will check out the bonds office, talk to Lula and Connie, too. I don't really want to have to alert her parents, but will if we don't know something in the next two hours."

An hour and one illegal entry later, and they still had nothing. They'd found no evidence that she'd been in the old apartment. He tried her phone again for the millionth time. _Why the hell wasn't she answering her damn phone?_ Woody drove to the bonds office and they both exited the vehicle. He knew he'd have to play this cool. He didn't want Lula and Connie to know that Stephanie was missing.

He stepped in and pulled off his shades. "Ladies." They both gawked as they always did when he arrived in the office..

"Connie, you got any files for RangeMan?" _Cool. Just act like today was a normal day. They'd spill if they knew anything._ Lula was the first to crack.

"Where you been keepin' my girl? We ain't seen hide nor hair of her since you two came back from your honeymoon. She calls, so I know she's feeling better. But how come she don't come by?"

Well, guess he had his answer. "She's still tired a lot. I'm sure she'll be by sometime next week." _God, he hoped she was back where she belonged and running around wild with her partner in crime, Lula_. He had an image of finding the two of them behind the scene of a burning building. If he wasn't so frustrated and worried about her, he would've smiled at the memory of him cuffing her to the sissy bar in his truck. He could remember her words.

"_You're so cute... you're so quiet...Quiet, quiet, quiet... are you going to have your way with me now that you have me handcuffed?"_

He remembered thinking she was so damn cute that he wanted to eat her whole. _Damn_, and then he remembered that he'd been a gentleman and made her sober up, which lost his chance, just like he'd lost his chance last night to tell her that he loved her. _Shit_, what was it about him that he always seemed to be screwing things up with her? If…,no, when he caught up with her, he was going to set things straight and she wasn't ever going to doubt his love for her again.

_Where the hell would she go?_ He thought of Point Pleasant as he sat in the truck and Woody drove around Trenton in hopes of spotting her car. No, she wouldn't go to Point Pleasant because they had no memories there. _Did they?_ _Shit_, he didn't know and he couldn't ask Woody. The only people that knew about his memory loss were Tank, Lester and Bobby. He wanted to scream with frustration. Not only was his Babe missing, but he'd yet to fully find all his memories. They were there, just at the fringes, but still out of reach.

His cell phone rang and he snapped it open on the first ring. "Talk."

"Boss." It was Hal. He frowned. He'd forgotten all about sending him and Bobby to Colorado. He hoped they had good news.

"Tell me something good, Hal. It's been a shitty of day."

"Sorry, Boss, afraid not. There's a warm body here, but it ain't Sullivan. It's a good lookalike. I don't know how the hell he managed it, but this guy's been here for a while. We've got him in interrogation and we'll find out what we can, but I thought you'd want to know that Sullivan's on the loose."

"You thought right. Fuck, Hal, this day just keeps getting shittier and shittier. Stephanie took off this morning and I don't know where she is."

"Oh shit, Boss, I'm sorry. We'll get what we can from here, but I also thought you'd want to know that I have another gut feeling."

Well, hell, just bombard me with one cluster fuck after another. "Go ahead."

"I've been mulling it over and I think Sullivan's had help from the start." Hal waited a minute, before continuing, "Inside help."

Ranger's voice was icy when he responded, "Want to run that by me again?"

Hal sighed, "Listen, I know we don't have any proof to back this up, but it makes sense. How the hell did Sullivan know that you and Stephanie would be returning that day and that your vehicle would be waiting at the airport? I think we need to start looking at an inside source."

"I'll get Tank on that. I've got my hands full here. You and Bobby breathe hard and heavy on the lookalike. I want answers, and I want them yesterday."

"Got it, Boss. I'm out."

Woody slid Ranger a look. "Doesn't sound like good news."

Ranger just shook his throbbing head. They pulled to a stop at a red light and saw Tank pulling behind them. Woody saw the signaling headlights and pulled to the curb. Tank's large frame slid into the back seat.

"Sorry, Ranger. Lester must have had a booty call. I haven't been able to get in touch with him and he's not answering his phone."

_Would the shit ever stop?_ Tank interrupted his internal monologue. "Woody man, turn that country shit off. It makes my innards curl."

As Woody was about to reach and turn off the background noise, that Ranger had tuned out, he realized what was playing.

"How the hell could I be so stupid?"

"What is it, Boss?"

Ranger grinned for the first time today. "It's '_Back to Tennessee'_. That's where the hell she's gone, back to the beginning. She's gone to where she feels we began for real. Where we decided to get married."

Tank's phone rang and he answered with his standard 'Yo'. "Lester, thank God. Do you know where Stephanie is?" He asked, even though he felt sure that Ranger was right. As he listened to Lester's tale of helping Stephanie plan a trip to the cabin for Valentine's Day, Ranger was already calling Simon.

Both men cut their connections at the same time and grinned at each other.

"Well, men, looks like I'm going back to Tennessee. Tank get me on a red eye to Memphis. I want you here looking for an inside source that could be helping Sullivan. Call Hal and Bobby and get an update and when you know something, call me. I'm going to get my woman."

He didn't have time before the flight to go back to the house and get his Valentine's present, which he'd gotten for Stephanie. However, he knew something he could pick up on the way to their cabin, that would mean a great deal more to her. The heart charm bracelet that lay in the bottom of his underwear drawer could wait until they got home. There was something far more personal that he wanted to give her today.

Several bumpy hours later, Ranger stepped off the small plane into the sticky, wet cold of Memphis. He'd never understand how it could actually be warmer in the South, but feel much colder. The locals said it was the humidity in the air that made the cold stick to you and sink into your bones. Whatever it was, he pulled his coat tighter to combat the chill that was seeping through his clothes.

It would take him an hour and a half to get to his Babe. But first, he had a very special stop to make. She was sure to have checked her messages by now, and knew that he was coming for her. What she didn't know was that he'd remembered most of it. There were sketches of his memory that still remained hidden, but for the most part, he remembered what was important. Stephanie, and their love.

Stephanie walked through the door to the cabin and plunked down her overnight bag. Immediately, she made for the couch. She was so tired that all she wanted to do was stretch out on the couch and sleep for a week. As soon as she'd walked in through the doors, she knew she;d made a mistake. This wasn't where hers and Ranger's love existed. This was just a place. There love was something that couldn't be beaten down by a little problem such as memory loss.

As she replayed the night before, she saw things now that she hadn't in the light of morning. The expressions on Ranger's face. Crappity crap. How had she missed them? They were as they'd been before the explosion. Complete love and adoration had shown on his face, in his eyes. Her mind whirled as she realized what a dufus she'd been to come here alone, without him.

She rose to retrieve her phone from her purse. Of course, it was dead as a door nail. Digging through her overnight bag, she realized she'd made another terrible mistake. She'd left the friggin' charger at home. She thought of Ranger. He must be going crazy with worry. She'd wondered why he hadn't called her and demanded to know her whereabouts and now she had her answer.

_Way to go, Stephanie_. She decided that she was too tired to deal with this right now. Stretching out on the couch, she laid down to berate herself. It didn't take more than lying horizontal for her to conk right out.

Several hours later, Stephanie woke to a snarling stomach and a slight headache. She'd picked up some snacks on the way in and went to get them from her purse. That's when she felt it, something wasn't right. Taking a bite from her Snickers bar, she roamed around the cabin. It didn't take long to figure out that somebody had been in the cabin since she and Ranger had last been here.

Several items that she knew had been specifically place were rearranged. A picture, a vase and the wooden replica of a houseboat being moved wouldn't normally have caught her attention. But, she knew that nobody had used this place since she and Ranger had come down to set up the security.

Since the accident, she hadn't really put her full effort into figuring out who had planted that bomb in her and Ranger's car. However, now that she was here, in their cabin, her mind couldn't help but think about the possibilities. The first name that came to her mind was Sullivan. Maybe it was just being back in the cabin. Or maybe, she'd thought it all along. Her Spidey Sense tingled, and she knew she had to be right.

Immediately, she went to her bag and retrieved her weapons. Armed, she felt slightly better. As she walked around the perimeter of the living room, another thought came to her mind. If it was Sullivan, how the hell did he know that they'd be returning that day? It was definitely something to think about. Help. He had freaking help, probably had help all along. And that left only one possibility. Sullivan had an inside man at RangeMan.

Too keyed up to sit, she continued to pace the living room. But, who? She went through the day that she and Ranger had returned. Tank, Lester, Bobby and Hal had each called at some point during their return trip. She was sure that other RangeMan employees knew of their return. But, who, dammit?

She couldn't believe she'd been so caught up in her own family drama that she hadn't thought of this before. She knew she was right, she could feel it. Somebody, inside RangeMan, had helped Sullivan, and was still helping him or was he working on his own now. Trying to think through conversations and get a bead on vibes from the past wasn't usually her strong suit. She usually worked best in the moment. It had to be somebody that'd been hired recently. That left only two people, Connor and Burcham.

In her mind, she walked through conversations with those two men. Connor was a baby-faced new recruit that had a body to die for. She'd say that he was as innocent as a new born babe. Her intuition was telling her that this was more than a feeling. It was dead center. That left Burcham.

D-man, as the guys called him, wasn't the standard RangeMan. He had a squat build and a round face. If the RangeMan physical regime wasn't so intense, she'd have to say that he would be a rolly polly. She tried to think of any contact she'd had with the man, but failed to find a single time that she'd actually talked to him. That was puzzling; she usually made a point to get to know all of the Rangemen.

Maybe, she was making something out of nothing. But now that she thought about it, it seemed as though the man avoided her. Her radar was blaring, 'Alert, alert.' She had to get back to Trenton or at the very least to a phone and call Ranger. He'd want to know what she's thinking.

In the distance, she heard the toll of a barge and was drawn to look out the balcony. She knew she should be high-tailing it out of there, but the call of the river was too strong. She grabbed a blanket from the back of the couch. It wouldn't hurt to go sit on the deck for just a little bit. After all, she'd come all this way to walk down memory lane. The least she could do is give those memories a few minutes of her time. Then she was going back to her man and never leaving his side again.


	13. Chapter 13

****AN: This story is winding down and I'd like to say that I've enjoyed the ride. Stephanie and Ranger are two characters that will forever live in my heart. And even though I don't own any of it and aren't making any money off of it, It's been a blast. I hope that one day, somebody will tell me that JE figured it all out and gave us Babes, the happy ending we all want. The way I figure it, nobody is going to be happy with how she ends this series. You can't keep a triangle alive forever and either way, Babe or Cupcake, somebody's going to be disappointed. Thanks to my super-duper Beta and for her sticking with me until the end. Just a few more chapters to go!

In the distance, she heard the toll of a barge and was drawn to look out the balcony. She knew she should be high-tailing it out of there, but the call of the river was too strong. She grabbed a blanket from the back of the couch. It wouldn't hurt to go sit on the deck for just a little bit. After all, she'd come all this way to walk down memory lane. The least she could do is give those memories a few minutes of her time. Then she was going back to her man and never leaving his side again.

"After the Darkness"

Chapter Thirteen

"Memories of Us"

Ranger had driven like a bat out of hell trying to get to his Babe. Once he arrived at the cabin, he positioned his men around the perimeter of the cabin and took stock of the place that he only remembered through his dreams. He could definitely see the appeal of the place and why she'd chosen this as the place to go when she was feeling out of sorts. Tank had given him the alarm codes, so he went in and re-activated the alarm.

It took little time to search the house and realize that she wasn't inside. That left the dock. He tried to be patient and observant. With Stephanie, you never knew what you were walking into. But, he needed to be with her. She was his life, his heart and his soul. If he didn't reconnect with her soon, he thought his heart was going to explode.

Quietly, he slid open the balcony doors and stepped out onto the deck. As he closed the doors, he saw her. She was sitting under a blanket, sitting cross-legged on the dock, looking out at the water. He took in a ragged breath, the first he'd been able to take since this morning. When his nerves settled, he made his way silently down the stairs.

Stephanie heard the beep of the alarm being tripped and then reset – and she knew it was him. If it wasn't, she was armed. She sat there and waited for what felt like an eternity. When he finally made it quietly down the stairs, she felt him behind her but didn't turn to face him. She couldn't look into those beautiful dark eyes and not see the love anymore

Without any preamble, Ranger began speaking. "It was late, you brought a platter of food and champagne while I lit the tiki torches. You adjusted the rope…so that the boat would drift in our cove." Ranger sat behind her, pulling her between his legs. "We made love as we drifted in the water, it was the most erotic and sexual experience of my life, and I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I didn't want to live another minute without you."

"While our bodies were still joined, I asked you to spend the rest of your life with me, because it was as close to heaven as either of would ever see on earth. You said yes, and made me the happiest person in the world the next morning –

She was crying by the time he'd finished, but managed to ask, "When?"

He knew she wanted to know when he'd remembered, and that would be a tricky one. "Babe, you know I've been having dreams about our sex life, right?"

He figured out, on his way to the cabin, why she'd ran. She'd thought that last night was just about sex and not love. It was his own damn fault for not being open with her. He remembered, from before, that it had taken him a long time to get to the point where he could give her the openness that she deserved. He wouldn't make that mistake again. He had a lot to answer for, but so did she. He also remembered that this was one of the things that they'd fought about in the past. An image of them going a round of hot, sweaty, makeup sex rolled through his mind, rocking his world with its intensity. He figured out that that was how they usually settled an argument.

"Yeah." She replied quietly.

"Well, one of the dreams, I've had it every night, each night with a little more detail. Last night, I remembered it all. However, I'd already fallen in love with you again. I want you to know that. Still, I wanted to wait until today, Valentine's Day, to tell you that I remembered loving you from before and that I love you now more than ever. Silly, I guess, but I wanted it to be special when I told you, not while we were making love. It was like living in a movie last night while we were in our bedroom. Images, both sharp and fuzzy, came to me every time that I was inside you. I was afraid that if I spoke or we stopped making love, those images and memories would disappear again. They are precious to me as are you."

"I'm such a dunce. I just knew this morning, that I couldn't live without your love. I could see you growing fond of me and desiring me, but I missed looking into your eyes and knowing that 'I' was the center of your universe. Waiting to tell me today was a very 'Ranger' thing to do." She laughed when he lightly pinched her.

"Trying to find you this morning, I was going crazy. Yesterday, I had my first memory, while awake, and then last night, and today they continued to be restored, most of them falling into place. That's how I knew where to find you. Although, at first, I made a few wrong detours."

"I figured Simon or Lester ratted me out."

"After I figured it out, then Lester told me the rest. How you'd planned for us to go away, to come here. Babe, do you want to know why Lester's been such a dick to me since the accident?"

At her nod, he continued, "Shortly before I got shot, and we came here, on the run from Sullivan, he got drunk one night. He told me that I had better get my ass in gear or he was going to move in on me."

"What?" She shrieked.

"You two had been out on surveillance, he'd figured if anyone could go toe to toe with him, like you, then they were worth a risk. He'd decided that he'd half fallen in love with you already. Before coming here, on the run, I was planning on wooing you. So, after we got married, I pulled Lester aside and asked him if he'd been serious about falling in love with you. When he said yes, I asked him to look after you if anything happened to me, and to always be straight with me if I was being an ass or out of line with you. His response was 'already planned on it'."

"So, Lester's been looking out for you like I asked. That's why, even with amnesia, I haven't tried to pull back or push you away. I knew from the beginning that you must be pretty special, if I'd asked Lester to watch out for you. Thank God, because if Lester and Tank hadn't been on my case 24/7, there's no telling how I might have acted."

"Babe, Stephanie, please, don't ever leave me again. Today, has felt like a lifetime to me."

She heard the stress in his voice and felt ashamed. "Ranger, oh God, I'm so sorry. I was going to call you when I arrived, but…."

Ranger closed his eyes, took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. "Babe, we'll definitely be discussing that later."

The argument that would result from that conversation could wait. This, right here, right now, was about putting their life back together.

"Babe, I loved you before, I love you now, and I'll love you forever after, please….will you be mine?" He gave her a slim rectangular package wrapped in red foil paper with a silver ribbon. "It's not exactly your 'real' Valentine's present, but it's what I wanted, no, needed to give you tonight."

She opened it expecting it to be jewelry of some kind; she tore into the paper like an eager child on Christmas morning. What she saw brought a sob of both joy and sorrow. They hadn't told him why they'd stopped at the Wal-Greens on the way home from their honeymoon. It was just one of the tiny details that had escaped them in all the turmoil.

There sitting in her lap was a small rectangular box with purple lettering. _First Response_.

He cleared his throat, "Next time…..we won't have to stop at the pharmacy."

Her only thought was, _Oh, God, he truly did remember, and he still wanted it, all of it._

She turned and tackled him to the dock, knocking the breath out of him. After kissing him breathless, she pulled back and asked cheekily, "You sure? Cause, I'm not exactly family material – I am wearing two guns and a knife."

Ranger gave her the full effect of his laugh before he stopped in horror. He bolted up, pulling her behind him in a protective shield and immediately went on alert.

"Stephanie, you're never this armed. You've caught the scent of him, haven't you?"

Oh, hell, he used her full name. She knew she'd be in trouble when he realized the entire situation. Might as well get it over.

"Yeah, he's been here. I figured it out, and was going to get in my car, but the call of the river was too strong. And before you get all mad, I had to come here. This place, it's where we really began as a couple. Before we came here, you never opened up to me. This place is where we came together as a couple and I needed to be here. I'd already decided to come back, but, well, it's hard to explain. I know it's going to sound strange, but something was telling me to stay, that you'd be here soon."

He relaxed his grip on her arms, sure that there'd be a bruise in the morning. "There will be a discussion about this later as well."

She heard the underlying anger and sighed. "Look, I'm armed and knew that it was you when the alarm was deactivated. I'm okay, and we're both here. It's better to take care of this here and now, instead of it following us back to Trenton."

He started to open his mouth and respond, but they both noticed the glowing red dot on her key chain. _Oh, shit, he's here, _they thought in unison.

"Yeah, Babe, we're going to end it here and now. This time, there won't be any prisoners. I got a text from General Hatfield on the way here, and was told that I had complete authority. I was left with the distinct impression that he would be greatly relieved if Sullivan never made it back to his prison cell. And yes, we'll talk about all that later, too."

"So, what's the plan?"

He looked at her long and hard. "Well, since we didn't use any birth control last night, I want you completely out of the picture."

"Hell, Ranger. This guy took something from us, and I want to be in on taking him down. We'll be careful. Nothing can harm me when I'm with you."

He knew she'd be this way. "Alright, but if you get hurt and if there's a baby….."

"Shhh…You're the best there is, nothing is going to go wrong. For all we know, you're sperm are still swimming up my canal. If I am pregnant, I don't want to lose it either. But, I feel that I need to be a part of ending this."

He sighed and rubbed his face. She was right. She deserved to have the chance at some payback. He sat up and peeled off his top shirt and began un-strapping his bullet proof vest. When he had the vest strapped onto her body, he silenced her arguments with a look.

"Like you said, 'I'm the best.' You'll not go in there without this vest."

She saw that his decision was made, and decided not to argue.

"I've got four men stationed around the cabin. They'll have seen him go in. I told them to stand down until I gave them the signal." He showed her the signal.

"When you get to the front, make the signal and come in with your back up. I'm going in through the balcony doors." He gave her another look that told her that any argument would be futile. He'd had enough of Sullivan, but still needed to talk to him. Before Sullivan died tonight, he was going to find out who had been helping him.

"Ranger, before you go in, you need you to know that I think that Sullivan had help. Inside, help. You need to get him to talk and find out who."

It was rare that he was shocked, but he was, well and truly. "How the hell do you do it? I still don't remember everything and this 'Spidey Sense' thing that you have going, well, it's down right eerie."

She laughed for the first time in what felt like years. "I don't know, but it comes in handy."

Handy? Hell, it was a Godsend if you asked him to have someone who he didn't have to constantly fill in the blanks for was a down-right miracle. He adjusted the vest one more time, assuring himself that she was secure and protected.

"Alright, Babe, we're going to finish this, one way or another. Are you sure you can handle the thought that I'm going in there to kill Sullivan?"

"Ranger, I would be disappointed if you didn't. He took something from us that we can never replace. The love, it's found its way back but, our child, we'll never know if it was a boy or girl or what color his or her eyes or skin color was. It's time he paid for that."

He gave her a tender look and brushed a hand over her face and down her hair. "I want one of both."

She leaned back to see if he was serious. She grinned when she saw the truth of his words. "Well, then, we better get rid of this jerk and get started on that, don't you think?"

Ranger leaned in and brushed a kiss across her lips. "I love you, Babe. Try not to get shot."

"Love you, too and don't get shot! I'll be really pissed if you get hurt again."

He gave her one more lingering kiss, before they parted. He took the stairs as she made her way up the grassy hillside and towards the front of the cabin. Opening the door, he thought it's payback time mother fucker.


	14. Chapter 14

*******AN: It's been a great ride! I've loved this story and hope that I have succeeded in entertaining you in the process. I want to thank all of my readers for their support and good wishes while real life intruded in the finishing of this story. My special thanks goes out to Angie who has held my hand through this process. You're the greatest beta ever and I really appreciate all of your input and hard work. To Cara, thanks for standing in and helping me with getting this final chapter written. I intended to make this a trilogy, however, Ranger, Stephanie, Olivia and Trae may have more words to say in the future…..who knows? **

_Previously:_

_Ranger leaned in and brushed a kiss across her lips. "I love you, Babe. Try not to get shot."_

"_Love you, too and don't get shot! I'll be really pissed if you get hurt again."_

_He gave her one more lingering kiss, before they parted. He took the stairs as she made her way up the grassy hillside and towards the front of the cabin. Opening the door, he thought it's payback time mother fucker_.

"After the Darkness"

Chapter 14

"Happily Ever After"

Stephanie took one more look at Ranger's retreating form, before rounding the corner of the cabin. Creeping along the side, her mind churned with thoughts from earlier and how she felt about the employees at RangeMan, especially the new editions. Her 'spidey sense' was telling her that her suspicions were correct about who has been helping Sullivan all along.

She moved quietly, but was sure that Ranger's backup was already aware of her presence. She made the signal that Ranger had shown her and like magic, Ranger's men descended from the surrounding trees onto the ground. Laughter almost bubbled out as she thought about how this looked like something from a spy movie. Four men approached, after detaching themselves from zip-cords.

Lester immediately pulled her to him, wrapping her in a bone crushing hug. Woody and Cal gave her a salute, while the other man nodded. . She should have had some sense of relief at having the guys there with her, but she couldn't fight off the warning bells that her 'spidey sense' was sending out. One of these men was the inside man, she just knew it. She tried to make eye contact with Lester to ESP him, but he was already making signals for their approach.

She gathered her thoughts and tried to think of a way to communicate with Lester. However, there wasn't enough time, and she still had to think through how she was going to communicate to Lester without giving herself away. She was just going to have to wing it and hope that he played along with what she had planned for ferreting out the traitor. Woody and Cal went around the back to go in through the balcony doors behind Ranger, while Lester motioned for her and Burcham to follow him through the front.

As they entered, Stephanie's heart skipped a beat as she took in the scene. Ranger had Sullivan on the ground with his gun to his head. Sullivan wasn't completely at a disadvantage, because his own gun was stuck to Ranger's chest. They were at an impasse, and the room was thick with the tension as all guns were trained on the deadlocked men.

Ranger's voice was low and lethal, "I'll ask you for the last time, who the fuck's been helping you?"

Stephanie watched Burcham out of the corner of her eye and saw his body become rigid as he moved directly behind her. This was not good, definitely not good. The person Sullivan was about to rat out was standing behind her with a gun trained on her back. Her brain went ninety miles a minute trying to figure out a way to deflect Burcham's attention.

"Ranger, go ahead and take him out. I've already figured out the culprit." She certainly hoped this worked. She slowly turned her head and gave Lester a wink, hoping he got the message. Then she drew her gun on him as he drew his on her at the same time. She breathed an internal sigh of relief thanking God for the Merry Men and their ESP.

"Did you think I wouldn't figure it out, Lester?" She certainly hoped Lester's ESP was working. Burcham was behind her and couldn't see her roll her eyes towards him.

Lester watched the play of her eyes, listened to the inflection of her voice, and rolled with the punches. He just needed to get her out of the way.

"Beautiful, I was never going to hurt you. I just needed Ranger out of the way. That way you and I could be together." He certainly hoped that was what she was going for because it was all he could come up with.

"Why didn't you just tell me? I would have come to you a long time ago. I've always had feelings for you." She took a big gulp and swallowed down the fear that Ranger wouldn't believe this hunk of bull she and Lester were spewing.

She walked slowly toward Lester, with Burcham stalking her movement with his eyes. Lester could tell by Burcham's body language and puzzled expression that he hadn't figured out what they were up to. He just hoped that Ranger didn't kill him when this was over. He'd been to third world countries and didn't plan on going back. If anything had the potential for sending him there, what he had planned would definitely do it. He made silent plea for Ranger to forgive him as Stephanie approached.

When Stephanie was close enough, he reached around her waist, pulling her in for a hard kiss. He then quickly spun her around behind him and immediately buried the gun into Burcham's throat.

"You didn't really think you'd get away with betraying the boss, did you?" Lester almost laughed at the surprised look on Burcham's face.

Stephanie wanted to do a happy dance but the sound of gun fire caused her to spin around in surprise. She'd been so caught up in her and Lester's drama that she'd totally tuned out the struggle between Ranger and Sullivan.

With horror churning in her stomach, she ran towards Ranger, falling beside him and struggled to turn him over.

"Ranger, dammit! You'd better be alive." She screamed.

A warm chocolate hand reached up smoothing her hair out of her face. "Yeah, Babe, I'm alive."

"You're bleeding." She started frantically running her hands over his body.

"It's just a scratch, really. No more than band-aid level injury." His voice turned husky as he buried his hands in her curls. "Not enough to keep me from making love to you tonight and every night for rest of my life … that is if you can tear yourself away from Lester." He chuckled.

She saw the twinkle in his eye and knew he was joking. She swatted his arm and shrugged. "It was the best I could come up with."

"Proud of you, Babe."

_Several hours later …_

The General came to retrieve Sullivan's corpse and took Burcham into custody. Turned out that Burcham was Sullivan's third cousin and that was how he'd gotten roped into helping Sullivan. The man who traded places with Sullivan was a good look-a-like because he was also a cousin.

Lester, Cal, and Woody packed up the truck, while Ranger loaded her overnight bag into the rental car. They couldn't stay in their cabin until a clean-up crew came in to take care of Sullivan's blood.

Once in the car, Ranger turned to Steph, ran a hand through her hair pulling her to him for a bone-melting kiss. Pulling back he searched her face for regrets, finding none. He asked, "Where to Babe? We're offline till Friday and we could use some R&R."

She grinned, "How about we just drive and see where the road leads us?"

His eyes grew molten dark, "As long as the road leads to a bed and the valley between your legs, I'm game."

Ranger started the car, and began driving. She didn't know where they were going or when they'd get there, but she knew for certain that they'd do it together.

_**About five years Later…**_

Stephanie watched as Ranger pushed their four year old daughter in the swing and thought about how their lives had changed. Olivia Michelle Manoso was born nearly nine months after Valentine's Day. She marveled over how their lives had changed. Ranger had turned over the day to day running of RangeMan to Tank and promoted two others at the Miami and Boston branches. He'd decided to be a full time husband and dad.

For years she'd fought the 'Burg expectation to be a stay at home mom, but it was different with Ranger. The stay at home part didn't exactly fit since they traveled extensively. Olivia wasn't old enough for school yet, so they just bundled her up and took her with them wherever they went. Well, Olivia and a contingency of Merry Men turned uncles.

The last four months though, Ranger insisted they stay close to home. Steph sighed and rubbed her stomach, hefted the duffle bag over her shoulder and went outside to intrude on Ranger and his daughter's special time.

During the past five years, Ranger still struggled with his memories. As he pushed his daughter in her swing, he was thankful his memories of Stephanie fully surfaced. Other things still remained a mystery to him, like how in the hell they managed to elect Obama as President? But, problems like who the commander in chief was and the strength of the military weren't forefront in his mind anymore.

Instead, his days were filled with laughter, piercing blue eyes and silky curls that blew in the breeze. A broad smile spread across his face as his mind drifted to his nights, those were filled with a passion he'd only dreamt about. No matter where they were, at night his arms were filled with his true love, his Babe.

He heard Stephanie come out the back door and immediately started pulling Olivia to a stop. He watched as Stephanie walked toward him, well, not exactly walked, more like she waddled like a duck. With Olivia she'd gained weight all over. He cringed when he remembered her swollen legs and ankles and how miserable she'd been during that entire summer. This time, from behind, he could hardly tell she was pregnant. She was all stomach. It was the bulge she carried that caused his pants to tighten. Seeing her big with their second child was like an aphrodisiac for him. They'd had to be creative last night and he still wasn't altogether sure they should have at all, but she'd insisted. Boy, had she insisted. She'd been all over him from the time they'd finished their nightly routine of reading to Olivia, singing songs, and tucking her in.

Stephanie rolled her eyes at the lust she saw beaming from Ranger's eyes. Well, he's just going to have to hold that thought, for six long weeks.

"You're going to have to remove those thoughts from your brain for a while. It's time." She told him in a breathy voice.

Ranger picked up Olivia and immediately went to take the duffle bag from her shoulder. "Did you hear that Livy? Mommy says it's time for us to meet your brother."

Stephanie watched in amazement as her ever efficient husband made calls and shuffled them to the truck. He snapped Olivia into the car seat and helped her into the truck. Ranger gave her a soft kiss as he fastened her seatbelt and reclined her seat.

"How far apart are your contractions, Babe?" Control. He knew he had to stay in control, but the idea of her giving him a son today of all days was beyond exciting. It was his birthday and he couldn't think of a better present.

"Five minutes. We've got plenty of time to drop Olivia off at my parent's house."

Her breathing was a little harsher now and Ranger wanted to object about making the detour. But, he also knew that a hospital delivery room wasn't the place for a four year old.

Four hours later, Ricardo Carlos Manoso, III was welcomed into the world. Stephanie and Ranger decided to call him Trae since he was the third generation to bear the name. She watched as Ranger held their son with a look of such total devotion on his face. It had been a long road, but they'd finally made it out of the darkness and into the light.

_**The End.**_


End file.
